All Tomorrow's Parties - Cockatoo Island

Curated by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Featuring Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Saints, Spiritualized, Fuck Buttons, Harmonia, The Necks, Laughing Clowns, Robert Forster, James Blood Ulmer, Michael Gira, Afrirampo, Silver Apples, Bridezilla, The Stabs, Dead Meadow, Rowland S. Howard, The Reels, Psarantonis, Conway Savage, Beaches, Hunter Dienna, Passenger Of Shit, Sounds Of Seduction, The Holy Sea and Hoss.

All Tomorrow's Parties finally makes it to Australia after a few years of Don't Look Back shows and it is amazing. Held on Cockatoo Island in the middle of Sydney Harbour, only accessible by Ferry (Which I had to sit awkwardly next to J. Spaceman) for, it was just great concept very well executed. The Barracks Stage was just an amazing setting. What started out as a cloudy day ended up in everyone being trapped on an island in incredible heat without sunscreen, what ended up happening that my jack to jack cable actually melted a bit and ruined quite a few of my recordings and many others I didn't end up releasing for 7 months. But here is what I could salvage.

The Stabs and Beaches were the first two bands I saw, a slow start to the day and both recordings ended up being ruined, before Afrirampo blew everyone's minds again.

I then made the trek up to the Barracks Stage to see M. Gira. He did a pretty sweet set but this was on the highest point of the island so it was windy as fuck.

M. Gira - All Tomorrow's Parties, Sydney, 17/01/2009 - 78.6mb - 48 minutes

Saw a bit of Harmonia afterwards before heading off to Laughing Clowns to see Ed Kueppers first set of the day. It was alright, was a bit quiet but it was good to finally see them. Windy again as this time the stage fronts on to the harbour.

Setlist
The Flypaper
Come One, Come All
Everything That Flies
Nothing That Harms
Collapse Board
Eternally Yours

Laughing Clowns - All Tomorrow's Parties, Sydney, 17/01/2009 - 75.1mb - 46 minutes

Can't remember what exactly I did after this, saw Robert Forster, The Necks, Conway Savage and some others at some point during the day, so I'm assuming it was here.

The Saints then come on stage (to a very quiet PA) and perform all of (I'm) Stranded as well as Know Your Product. The show starts a bit slow and with a few recording glitches, but over all a fucking awesome set. "This song is sung in fluent Queenslander" spoken by Chris Bailey in a thick British accent has to be a pisstake though.

Setlist
This Perfect Day
One Way Street
Swing For the Crime
The Chameleon
No Time
A Minor Aversion
(I’m) Stranded
All Time Through Paradise
The Prisoner
Messin’ With the Kid
Know Your Product

The Saints - All Tomorrow's Parties, Sydney, 17/01/2009 - 69.3mb - 57 minutes

Spiritualized played a decent set, included a very abridged version of I Think I'm in Love and it seemed that all the British hooligans seem to come out for this set, so the recording just has a shit load of talking the entiiire way through it. I enjoyed it in the end but nothing on their sideshow.

Setlist
Amazing Grace
You Lie You Cheat
Shine a Light
Walking With Jesus
I Think I’m in Love
Ladies and Gentlemen We are Floating in Space
Come Together
Take Me to the Other Side

Spiritualized - All Tomorrow's Parties, Sydney, 17/01/2009 - 76.7mb - 50 minutes

Homg Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, finally, here's what I had to say at the time:

“We want to have a party at Nick Cave’s house in Melbourne with family.” - Oni and Pikachu.

Probably one of the greatest festival sets I’ve ever seen (It was no Mogwai at Splendour in the Grass or Sigur Ros at the Great Escape though). Nick Cave seriously just makes everything he touches cooler, it was like receiving a sermon, Al Green style with growling, kicking and died moustaches. All Tomorrow’s Parties as a whole was a perfect festival with an awesome line up. Nick Cave set topped off the perfect day. Recorded full sets by Beaches, The Stabs, M. Gira, Laughing Clowns, Spiritualized and the Saints. If you want any of these please contact, they were all awesome. Also recorded many half sets.

Due to some fat fuckwit tampering with my microphones during Spiritualized’s set there were some major glitches coming from my right microphone. So to stop them from bursting your ear drums I have to mute the right channel for a split seconds every now and then. Stops happening after half way through the set. I would make it mono but I can’t be fucked and fuck you.

Setlist
Night of the Lotus Eaters
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Tupelo
The Weeping Song
Red Right Hand
Midnight Man
Love Letter
Moonland
The Mercy Seat
Deanna
We Call Upon the Author
Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry
Encore
Straight to You
Stagger Lee

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - All Tomorrow's Parties, Sydney, 17/01/2009 - 100.75mb - 1 hour 25 minutes

At the end of the day, we were all fucked, I didn't record Fuck Buttons due to this and basically it turned into a zombie like dance party, probably the best ending to the day, apart from sizzling from severe sunburn in a McDonalds.

Spiritualized ATP Sideshow

Support by Silver Apples.

I really enjoyed Silver Apples, a shame I botched the recording, and I came to this show directly from St. Vincent who I didn't even bother to record at all, sitting in the front row makes that awkward.

I didn't know Spiritualized had a reputation for being loud but fuck, come on guys. Was a pretty long show with two gospel singers, starts out with a very quiet version of Waltzing Maltilda which can barely be heard.

Setlist
Amazing Grace
You Lie You Cheat
Shine A Light
Cheapster
Soul On Fire
Sweet Talk
Sitting On Fire
Walking With Jesus
Oh Baby
Rated X
I Think I’m In Love
Lay Back In the Sun
Death Take Your Fiddle
Life Is A Problem
Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
She Kissed Me (It Felt Like A Hit)
Come Together
Take Me to the Other Side
Encore
Lord Can You Hear Me

Spiritualized - Metro Theatre, Sydney, 16/01/2009 - 145.8mb - 2 hours 2 minutes

Fuck Buttons/Dead Meadow/Afrirampo ATP Sideshow

Seriously, what a fucking line up. Won't see anything like this again.

Afrirampo were really an interesting bunch, had I written this the night afterwards I would have more to say, but currently it's 9 months after this show happened, but between this show and the ATP set they provided some very memorable moments.

For just three guys, Dead Meadow put out an awesome sound. This show had some genuinely awesome moments, while the rest were just damn solid moments.

Dead Meadow - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, 15/01/2009 - 61.2mb - 51 minutes

Despite the terrible reviews I had been hearing, I really really enjoyed Fuck Buttons. Everything you've heard about their live show is totally wrong. And that last song (which now I think was an early version of Surf Solar) is fucking awesome.

Fuck Buttons - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, 15/01/2009 - 62.4mb - 52 minutes

Days Like This! 2009

I saw The Dodos, Killa Queenz, Flying Lotus, Yo! Majesty, Platinum Pied Pipers, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings and Public Enemy.

This was actually a great festival and I had an awesome time. The Dodos were better than at Fleet Foxes, didn't record because there was only 15 or so of us watching. Killa Queenz was new to me. Flying Lotus killed it, botched the recording though. Yo! Majesty had high expectatiosn and failed to meet them. Was stoked to finally see even just a few members of Slum Village in PPP.

As for Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, I wish I could get the visuals of this show, because Sharon Jones is an amazing performer. One of the most feel good shows I have ever seen. Included the amazing sound check as well.

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - Days Like This!, Sydney, 04/01/2009 - 84.5mb - 1 hour 10 minutes

Now for Public Enemy, this time with Flavor Flav. After seeing them last Saturday I had convinced myself that they didn’t need Flavor Flav. I was wrong, he adds so much more to the performance it’s insane. They performed all of It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back again, and due to various curfews and sound restrictions, the set is cut short and they end with a rush medley of songs. After about the 40 minute point the sound starts getting quieter and quieter as the sound at the venue was being turned down.

Also I recorded this from the second row and it seemed to work out absolutely fine, and I got to high five Flavor Flav.

Public Enemy - Days Like This!, Sydney, 04/01/2009 - 93.1 mb - 1 hour 20 minutes

Apparently it's def coming back next year. I will be there.

Fleet Foxes

Supported by the Dodos.

The Dodos were great, unfortunately I botched the recording.

Fleet Foxes were beyond great, and the crowd went mental for absolutely every song played. There are two covers done and one song that was done completely acoustic with Robin standing in the crowd. This was the best set I ever saw Fleet Foxes play. The drums sound shitty though.

Setlist
Sun Giant
Sun it Rises
Drops in the River
English House
White Winter Hymnal
Ragged Wood
Your Protector
Crayon Angel
Oliver James
Quiet Houses
He Doesn’t Know Why
Mykonos
Encore
Katie Cruel
Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
Blue Ridge Mountain

Fleet Foxes - Metro Theatre, Sydney, 03/01/2009 - 84.7mb - 1 hour 12 minutes

Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

Supported by Snob Scrilla and DJ IZM.

Sans Flavor Flav, and they did just fucking fine without him.

The wait and constant delays were painful, and the hypeman saying the exact same things over and over got kind of annoying, but in the end, the show exceeding all of my high expectations. Chuck D and crew performed all of It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back as well as everything you’d expect them to play (Without Flavor Flav of course).

Listen to this on some decent speakers pleeeease. It will make it better for all of us.

Public Enemy - Metro Theatre, Sydney, 27/12/2008 - 129.45mb - 1 hour 46 minutes

Jim Ward Quiet EP Tour

Supported by Like... Alaska and One Small Step for Landmines.

Direct quote from my tumblr:

When I saw Jim Ward earlier this year at the incredble shambles that was Soundwave on top of a hill at sun set, the only thing I could think of is that I will never see anything like this again, let alone Jim Ward without a band. 10 months later and he’s back for some reason and it’s awesome. He played all his Quiet EP songs, most of Sleepercar and 4 Sparta songs: Breaking the Broken, Collapse, Air and Without a Sound.

He had the mad shakes throughout the show though. Don’t quite know what that was about. If it was just nerves or if there’s something more to that, but it was odd to see.

The volume in this is extremely low, the mix on the night was already quiet and I recorded it at the time with minimal gain, I’ve already added way too much gain to it afterwards and don’t feel as if I could put more on it. Sorry but turn your speakers quite a bit up

Jim Ward - Annandale Hotel, Sydney, 09/12/2008 - 56.3mb - 52 minutes