This month’s top five recommendations include alternative superheroes from the past and present, soaring Aussie stars and … a rock festival-cum-wrestling event?
Beck
Darling Harbour Theatre, ICC, April 6
This time around we’re getting folk/country singer-songwriter Beck.Credit:
At the risk of oversimplifying matters, there are two Beck Hansens.
One is an alternative pop-rock-funk machine influenced by everyone from Serge Gainsbourg to Prince who knows his way around a hip-hop beat and can even rap a bit.
The other is an introspective folk/country singer-songwriter who can break your heart armed with little more than an acoustic guitar, yet who’ll occasionally up the tempo, stomping along to his own harmonica.
It’s the latter Hansen coming to town on this tour, via Bluesfest, and, while not my preferred Beck, he’s still a formidable proposition.
Even if that subdued approach, due also to his bad back and the dignity of advancing years (he’s 52), means he won’t necessarily be breaking out the slick dance moves of old, he’ll definitely have a surprise or two up his sleeves. Beck rarely does predictable.
The 1975
Aware Super Theatre, April 14
Qudos Bank Arena, April 16
Matty Healy of The 1975 performs during the closing day of Lollapalooza Chile 2023.Credit: Marcelo Hernandez/Getty Images
To say The 1975 have been polarising over their career is like saying Lizzo (who recently announced she’s returning to Australian shores in July) is quite confident – it’s something of an understatement.
This is a group once named worst band by New Musical Express and then just a couple of years later was crowned best live band by that same music magazine.
In mainstream circles, The 1975 are regular winners at the Brit Awards and have recently found themselves more in that sweet spot of enjoying both critical adoration and stream-guzzling popularity.
Their latest album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, continues their entertaining adventures in melodic, guitar-led pop, and the fact they’ll be performing songs from it in packed arenas in both the city and western Sydney is kind of winning, too.
The World Is a Vampire Festival (featuring The Smashing Pumpkins and Jane’s Addiction)
Hordern Pavilion, April 18-19
Reunited: Eric Avery (left) and Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction.Credit:
Frankly, you had me at Jane’s Addiction. It’s the reunited founding line-up, and the thrilling LA alt-rock originals have lately been hammering first two albums Nothing’s Shocking and Ritual de lo Habitual at live shows. Sold.
But wait – Melbourne’s ferocious Amyl and the Sniffers are also playing this mini-festival, put together by headliners (naturally) the Smashing Pumpkins and named after a line from their Bullet With Butterfly Wings?
And I had to check if I’d heard this correctly – there’s also going to be professional wrestling in the mix.
Welcome to perhaps the maddest gig of the year.
It turns out Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan is president of the US National Wrestling Alliance, which will be taking on the Wrestling Alliance of Australia in the ring when alt/punk-rock carnage isn’t going down on stage.
Now that’s entertainment.
The Buoys/Eliza & the Delusionals
Selina’s, Coogee, April 24
The Buoys are back in town.Credit: Jordan Munns
This is cool: a co-headlining tour showing off the considerable talents of two rising Australian indie-rock bands.
In one corner, hailing from Sydney with three scorching EPs and a handful of other killer singles under their belt, come all-female outfit the Buoys.
Meanwhile, surfing down from the Gold Coast, with a fine debut album (Now and Then) and featuring at least a couple of charismatic women (but with a couple of token blokes in the background), are Eliza & the Delusionals.
I’d like to say these two groups will be “duking it out for the title of best young band in Australia today”, or something, but that’s just wrestling speak from earlier continuing to infect the writing. Sorry about that.
These bands are more representative of the best of the Australian scene: wholly supportive of each other and striving for excellence, with much promise.
Ruel
Aware Super Theatre, April 28
Pack your earplugs, Ruel is coming to town.Credit: Michelle Grace Hunder
It’s slightly discombobulating to realise London-born, Sydney-raised Ruel left his teens only a few months ago.
Not only has the golden-voiced fledgling pop idol been putting out music for six years; in that time, he has won an ARIA, made an impact overseas and thoroughly slayed the Opera House – my ears are still ringing from the screams, and that was in 2019.
The big test, which he passed pretty convincingly, arrived with his debut album 4th Wall in March and its breezy take on modern pop music: often upbeat and blissful but with enough seductive slow jams to keep his core audience swooning – and, no doubt, screaming.
Pack your earplugs.
What gigs are you looking forward to this month? More Bluesfest sideshows from the likes of Jason Isbell (Enmore Theatre, April 5-6), Michael Franti (Enmore Theatre, April 7) and/or Bonnie Raitt (Aware Super Theatre, also April 7), among others? Seattle grunge originals Mudhoney (Factory Theatre, April 20)? Hip-hop cult hero Denzel Curry (Hordern Pavilion, April 27)? Tell us about them in the comments.
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