I said, are you listening?

Laura at the Spanish Club Saturday 20 May 2006

If you're a member of an instrumental post-rock band do you come to loathe and detest both the phrase 'instrumental' and the phrase 'post-rock'? Do you get over it? I wonder...

Laura's return gig was on fire. New stuff, old stuff, stunning visuals. Impressive.

I've been going to see them play for a few years now... as they've moved up the bill to headline, the crowds have gotten bigger, the venues more spacious, and live they're getting smoother and tighter, with that tradmark 'wall of sound' growing ever more dense and complex. If you haven't caught them yet, you won't get a better 11:00 show for $10. Keep your eyes open.

Lior at the Corner Hotel Sunday 21 May 2006

And now for something completely different...



I've seen Lior play a few times over the summer and last night he was on with full band including strings, which was a treat. Last time he'll air the music from Autumn Flow before the new album in time for summer festival season. And? We'll the old stuff was smooth, the new stuffy messy. He was engaged and great fun, but over it from about half way through. You can tell this is the end of an ongoing tour for this album - in the faces of the band who looked like they'd relish the chance to play something other than silly 'Diego and the Village Girl'.

That said - Grey Ocean, Building Ships and Bedouin Song silenced the audience completely. You've got to give the man points for that kind of charismatic performance.