Dirty Three Join With Laughing Clowns

Arguably the stand-out performers at this years inaugural All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival at Mt.Buller, the Dirty Three return this summer for a national tour – their first in almost four years.

Already confirmed as the headline act at the Melbourne leg of the Laneway Festival and as special guests of both Sydney Festival and Perth International Arts Festival, Dirty Three will also appear at the Laneway Festival in Auckland, Hobart’s MoNA/FOMA Festival and at headline shows in Brisbane and Adelaide.

And without a new album to promote fans will have to be content with a select package of live favourites or, as per the Sydney and Perth Festival appearances, a Don’t Look Back ‘classic album’ performance of the band’s magnum-opus Ocean Songs, in its entirety.

“We recently toured the U.S and I must say, we are in fine form showroom condition. It’s the first time I’ve actually noticed the benefit of doing all these other projects (Bad Seeds, Grinderman, Cat Power et all) on the way we play together. We don’t have any new songs but we will gladly play the hits and the one’s that got away. On a good day there’s nothing quite like us on the stage… And you can quote me on that! ” – Warren Ellis (Violin/Dirty Three)

But wait, that’s not all… Joining Dirty Three for the Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney Don’t Look Back performances will be long time Dirty Three favourites, Laughing Clowns, performing their early ‘hits’ package ‘The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll Vol. 1‘.

Yep, the same line-up that emerged after a 25 year hiatus to perform at this years All Tomorrow’s Parties Festivals – Kuepper, Wegener, Elliott, Miller and Spence – will join forces once more time to put new life into old classics such as ‘Holy Joe’, ‘Sometimes (I Just Can’t Live with Anyone)’ and ‘Everything That Flies’.

“.. the reformed Laughing Clowns turn in an enrapturing performance of their jazz-affected post-punk and conclude with the towering saxophone melody and festival highlight of Eternally Yours.” – Andrew McMillen LAST – FM review of ATP, Mt.Buller

Thurs 21st: Melbourne – Forum (A Don’t Look Back performance) †
† Ocean Songs + Laughing Clowns performing History of Rock ‘n’ Roll Pt. 1

Fri 22nd: Adelaide – Fowlers Live

Sat 23rd: Hobart – MoNA/FOMA Festival (Moorilla Winery)

Mon 25th: Brisbane – Tivoli (A Don’t Look Back performance) †
† Ocean Songs + Laughing Clowns performing History of Rock ‘n’ Roll Pt. 1

Tues 26th: Sydney Festival – Enmore Theatre (A Don’t Look Back performance) †
† Ocean Songs + Laughing Clowns performing History of Rock ‘n’ Roll Pt. 1

Sat Jan 30th: Melbourne – Laneway Festival

Mon 1st: Auckland – Laneway Festival
Thurs 11th: Perth – International Arts Festival *

Echo & The Bunnymen at Laneway Festival

English post –punk, alternative art-pop (how’s that for a list of genres?) band Echo & The Bunnymen heads the line-up for the 2010 Laneway Festival.

St Jerome’s Laneway Festival kicks off on January 29 in Brisbane and then makes a journey around Australia and New Zealand.

Echo & The Bunnymen have been responsible for some  hits (The Killing Moon, Silver, Nothing Lasts Forever etc) and some songs that weren’t hits but were even more impressive than the ones that were.

Albums such as 1980′s classics Crocodiles and Ocean Rain, led them to exert a major influence on contemporary music.  The likes of Suede, Elbow and Interpol owe much to the Bunnymen’s brooding soundscapes, pulsating guitars and subversive attitude.

Plus, they were featured in the opening sequence of Donnie Darko. They come armed with material from their brand new record The Palace (right up there with their best work) and they’re set to win over a whole new generation of fans

As well as Echo & The Bunnymen, the 2010 shows will also feature Florence and The Machine, Black Lips, The XX, Daniel Johnston, Sarah Blasko, N.AS.A, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Hockey, Dappled Cities, Mumford and Sons, Radio Clit, The Very Best, Wild Beasts, Whitely, The Middle East, Kid Sam and Dirty Three.

Did you read right? Dirty Three?

In Melbourne only  the Dirty Three will be performing at your Laneway Festival in their only festival appearance in Australia this summer.  With an unparalleled reputation as one of Australia’s most enthralling live acts, Warren Ellis, Mick Turner and Jim White are exceptional in many respects: an instrumental, violin-led trio who are lauded by the music intelligentsia but who also embody the primitive appeal of rock’n'roll unlike any other band.

Since they formed in Melbourne in 1991, Dirty Three have released seven studio albums, one soundtrack, and several collaborations to worldwide acclaim, as well as individual projects with the likes of Nick Cave and Grinderman, Smog, Cat Power and Bonnie Prince Billy.   Warren Ellis reckons they are in ‘showroom condition’ following a recent US tour and ATP New York appearance and we welcome them back to their hometown for a very special performance

Dates are:

January 29, Brisbane
January 30, Melbourne
January 31, Sydney
February 1, Auckland
February 5, Adelaide
February 6, Perth

The Saints Play (I’m) Stranded

The Don’t Look Back concert series is treat. The idea is that bands play, in their entirety, albums that made them great. The concept is almost the antitheses of the way ‘the kids’ approach music these days – one downloadable track at a time.

Until quite recently the album was the whole point – a collection of songs where the whole was intended to be greater than the sum of its parts, a work of art where track sequence meant something, where the concept of a ‘shuffle’ was repugnant.

Oh well.

In 2009 Don’t Look Back brings us The Saints playing (I’m) Stranded and X playing At Home With You.

The press release provides good reasons why.

“Released in April 1977, The Saints (I’m) Stranded regularly appears in any poll nominating Australia’s greatest ever albums. In recent times this included; Melbourne newspaper The Age based on a survey of what’s been described as ‘Melbourne’s music and journalistic elite’ (now that’s a frightening concept in itself), a poll of the Australian music industry by AIR (Australian Independent Record Industry) and Australian on-line fanzine Mess & Noise. But it’s not just here in Australia that the plaudits for this groundbreaking album have appeared. UK fashion bible GQ nominated (I’m) Stranded as the no.3 Australian album of all time behind AC/DC’s Back in Black and the Bee Gee’s Saturday Night Fever. Now there’s some good company…

In addition to the regular poll positions, (I’m) Stranded was also the first album included in new Australian TV and DVD series ‘Great Australian Albums’ appearing alongside Crowded House, Silverchair and The Triffids. Not bad for an album that on release was as good as ignored, received no commercial radio play and did not chart. Further proof that great art is often initially misunderstood only to be fully appreciated by later generations.

To celebrate this fact – along with their inclusion in the inaugural Australian All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival series – The Saints (including original members Chris Bailey, Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay as well as long time Saint Archie Larizza on bass) have graciously agreed to recreate the album (all 32 minutes of white noise, punk snarl and songwriting smarts) in its entirety – via two very special Don’t Look Back performances.

The first, will take place at Melbourne’s salubrious Forum Theatre (a long way from The Saints original breading ground of Brisbane’s, Petrie Terrace) and will also feature the legendary X (not to be confused with the lesser American band of the same name) performing their classic second album ‘At Home With You’. Released in September 1985, ‘At Home With You’ followed X’s 1980 debut X-Aspirations (recorded with producer Lobby Loyde in just 5 hours) and featured singer/guitarist Steve Lucas, bassist Ian Rilen and (then) new drummer Cathy Green and featured the timeless ‘Half Way Round the World’ and also ‘Degenerate Boy’ – later covered with much success by Adelaide power trio The Mark of Cain. Original performers Steve Lucas and Cathy Green will reunite to present the album in its entirety and will also feature fellow album performers The Horns of Contempt (ex-Hunters & Collectors) with new bassist Kim Volkman standing in for the departed Ian Rilen.

The second show sees The Saints returning home to the scene of the crime – Brisbane – appearing as special guests of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at their Brisbane Riverstage show, rounding out a fantastic bill that already boasts Spiritualized, Robert Forster, The Necks and James ‘Blood’ Ulmer. If you live anywhere near Brisbane or within some hours drive you would be mad to miss this.

Alongside an appearance by Dirty Three performing their fourth album Ocean Songs in its entirety, The Saints and X complete a fantastic second season of Don’t Look Back.

Friday 9th January: Dirty Three perform ‘Ocean Songs’ – All Tomorrow’s Parties, Mt.Buller Ski Resort Tickets on sale now from http://atpfestival.oztix.com.au/, www.ticketmaster.com.au; all ticketmaster outlets or via phone: 136 100

Wednesday 14th January: The Saints perform (I’m) Stranded with special guests X performing ‘At Home With You @ The Forum, Melbourne. Tickets on sale Monday 8th December from http://atpfestival.oztix.com.au/, www.ticketek.com.au or phone 132 849

Thursday 15th January: The Saints perform (I’m) Stranded as guests to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds @ Brisbane, Riverstage, also featuring Spiritualized, Robert Forster, The Necks and James ‘Blood’ Ulmer. Tickets on sale now from www.ticketmaster.com.au; all ticketmaster outlets or via phone: 136 100.