‘I’ve given Verdi a run for his money’
Brilliant songwriter Rufus Wainwright’s new album is inspired by the death of his dog and features Meryl Streep and Sharon Stone.
Music
Festival director revived live performance at city’s darkest time
Brisbane Festival artistic director Louise Bezzina has been nominated for The Australian’s Australian of the Year for her two decades committed to Queensland’s live performance industry.
Have we reached peak electric guitar?
As the Fender Stratocaster — the world’s most recognisable six-string axe — enters its eighth decade, rock ‘n’ roll music is far from ascendant. Where to now for this totemic instrument of cultural change?
James Johnston laces up for 100km charity run to inspire his boys
The singer-songwriter will run into the country music capital on foot, having burned up 100km in the days preceding while aiming to raise $10,000 for Tamworth’s Ronald McDonald House.
Bridging the gap between club kids and gig pigs
When Franz Ferdinand is firing, it’s like the 2000s-era electroclash heyday never ended, wherein the Scottish indie rock band issued endearing anthems for the skinny jeans generation.
No sax, please, he’s following his heart
Master sax player Shabaka Hutchings has taken to the ancient, end-blown Japanese bamboo shakuhachi flute to lead his new band, Shabaka.
Kelly has the recipe for gravy … and lasting music success
Paul Kelly is currently enjoying another career renaissance with the film adaptation of his 1996 Christmas classic, How to Make Gravy, and is latest nomination for The Australian’s Australian of the Year.
Jon Stevens’ terrifying health scare: ‘You’re about to drop dead’
The rock singer reveals how he balances his physical and mental health while touring, how following doctors’ advice saved his life in 2009, and why he finds inspiration in The Rolling Stones.
Bob Geldof: ‘Rock ‘n’ roll as an instrument of change is over’
At 73, the frontman of Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats – and organiser of iconic benefit concerts Live Aid and Live 8 – reflects on money, his alter ego and smuggling painkillers.
Peace, love and country music: Ringo’s surprising turn, aged 84
As a post-Beatles solo artist, Starr recorded an album of country songs in 1970, but it’s taken him more than 50 years to record another one after a string of 20 hit-and-miss pop albums.
Whispering Jack’s courageous voice inspires all of us
In 2024, John Farnham overcame facial disfigurement from radical cancer surgery as well as a very public reckoning with abhorrent historic abuse – in the process reminding us all of his inspiring courage and tenacity.
The worst concert I saw in 2024: Iron Maiden
When this veteran British heavy metal band toured Australia last year, one of the musicians on stage was so far past it that he dragged down the entire show.
Why Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s story is being retold
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s family is seeking to entrench the Indigenous superstar’s legacy with a new posthumous album.
Young dumps Glastonbury in BBC protest
Folk legend Neil Young has pulled out of this year’s Glastonbury music festival, alleging it has fallen under ‘the corporate control’ of its partner, the BBC.
Opera, theatre, music and dance: special performances of 2024
Rating the best stage performances of the year is impossible, but here are a selection worthy of special attention.
Simply the best: 2024’s greatest musical moments
The Australian’s music writer nominates his highlights of 2024, from the best concerts, songs and albums to the best books and soundtrack usage.
Kendrick’s GNX a love letter to West Coast hip-hop culture
Full of raw moments and gloss, album No.6 is another standout release for the acclaimed American rapper ahead of his 2025 Super Bowl halftime performance booked for February.
Tom Odell: ‘Sometimes there’s actually no relief in art’
Confessional Q+A with the British singer-songwriter, whose debut single has become one of the most-streamed Spotify songs of all time, with more than 2.8 billion plays.
Rufus Wainwright: ‘I consider myself a three-headed monster’
Confessional Q+A: the Canadian-American singer, songwriter and composer talks money, rehab, Trump and dog balls ahead of his first Australian tour in five years.
Gurrumul’s posthumous orchestral album ‘a continuing celebration’
These arrangements are minimal, creating an almost meditative effect and placing the spotlight squarely on his voice, while highlighting the importance of his music within Australian culture.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/music/page/2