From Duffy to The Dø, there was just enough time for me to check out Brisbane boys Drawn From Bees who were Queensland’s winners of Garage 2 V. Congratulations guys!!
Leopard Lady is quite partial to their single ‘Long Tooth Setting Sun’ and the striking shock of hair on their lead singer.
Brisbane folk can catch them around town. To put one of their shows in your diaries, wander over to their myspace for details.
Ok…now onto The Dø!
Leopard Lady didn’t know too much of what to expect of Duffy but was definitely interested to check her out. With a positive outlook, LL asked her V Festival 09 companion, Mr Pirovich, what he thought of Ms Duffy. He had a position of not too keen and very doubtful but still intrigued to see her.
There was quite the crowd ready to be entertained by the blonde bombshell. But one bombshell wasn’t all they got. There were the cute Duffy lookalike back-up singers, too! Just quietly, Leopard Lady had a suspicion that they were just possibly miming… but who really cares. They looked great and that was the main part of their effect. It took us into an era of the classics such as Motown greats and 60s pop like The Supremes and the oft compared Dusty Springfield.
With a full live band jiving up there on the stage with her, there was an energetic vibe which kept the audience very happy. Duffy also used her crowning glory as a bit of a prop, swaying her head gently to get her locks flying. Quite the visual show and a polished act with some almost shy banter which was endearing.
Mr Pirovich was absolutely converted and sold. So too, LL expects, was the happy crowd drawn for the Welsh sensation. Leopard Lady however, although appreciating the entertainment value, was a little distracted…the reminiscence of The Stepford Wives and the crossover in the V timetable of The Dø was playing on her mind.
The Dø called!
Leopard Lady felt she had had a good taste of Duffy and headed off excitedly to see the much anticipated French-Finnish duo.
Oh Yeah! Loving this V Fest Line-up!!
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Leopard Lady’s first band of Gold Coast V Festival ‘09 was UK based Australian band, Howling Bells. Through a little research and some vague memories, Leopard Lady has discovered that Howling Bells is pretty much the band formerly known as Waikiki.
Beautiful brother and sister Joel and Juanita Stein on guitars and vocals, their drummer Glenn Moule and guitarist Brendan Picchio fled their Aussie homeland when the opportunity arose to work with Coldplay’s producer Ken Nelson. A certain fresh start from scratch. That was back in 2004 and now they have toured with the likes of Placebo and The Killers (also rocking the V Festival) who are very big fans of Howling Bells. There is a brilliant YouTube interview with the drummer from The Killers, Ronnie Vannucci Jr, and Howling Bells where you can see the impact the Aussies are having… at least on Ronnie.
Seeing Howling Bells live was a bit out of curiosity for Leopard Lady. Not knowing too much about them prior to much googling through the artist line-up of this year’s V Fest, much anticipation built.
Sonically, they create a thick and captivating atmosphere. Tight yet dreamlike. They draw their audience in with lush melodies and then pick them up for a bit of a rush as they get heavy and passionate. Leopard Lady also liked it when Joel picked up a bow on his guitar.
Visually it became all about the gorgeous Steins. Not that they aren’t all a bunch of good looking individuals, there is just something about Joel and particularly Juanita… she oozes a little of that certain sensuality that you want in your pop/rock stars.
Howling Bells have their second album, Radio Wars, out now and to add some big names to their ‘have toured with’ list, how about Coldplay. To check out dates and learn even more about these Aussie expats head to their MySpace… NOW!
Anyone fortunate enough to sweat it up amongst the crowd flailing around to Madness at one of the Australian V Festivals, can confirm that this 10 piece has only improved with age. Their sets at Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth had everything - sing alongs, classics and more love than you could poke a bowler and brolly at. If you weren’t there, then feast on this - live from Sydney V Festival… we present Madness!
Kaiser Chiefs perform Never Miss A Beat at the Sydney V Festival 2009. Give us a shout out if you were there, and if not - well treat yourself to this video clip and spirit yourself there anyway. Along with The Killers, Snow Patrol, Elbow and Razorlight, the Kaisers have just finished their V Festival tour of Australia - taking in Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth. Check back soon for more video clips from V Festival Australia.
Okay, so I have no YouTube access here in mainland China which has made sharing the latest installment of my world tour all that more difficult… But with V Festival Australia goodness to come, take a sneak peek at the rest of my Global V Pass adventures so far…
Here we have Snow Patrol turning off the lights for Earth Hour at the Sydney V Festival 2009 as they launch in to Run. Give us a shout out if you were there, and if not - well treat yourself to this video clip and spirit yourself there anyway. Snow Patrol, along with The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs, Elbow and Razorlight have just finished their V Festival tour of Australia - taking in Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth. Check back soon for more video clips from V Festival Australia.
Watch this fantastic performance from The Killers as they play Human at this year’s V Festival in Sydney, Australia. Give us a shout out if you were there, and if not - well treat yourself to this video clip and spirit yourself there anyway. Having already played Gold Coast last weekend, The Killers are now set to headline V Festivals in Melbourne and Perth this weekend… Check back soon for more video clips from V Festival Australia.
Finally they meet. UK V Blogger (and incidentally, the winner of the Global V Pass) Eleanor Conway and Leopard Lady of the Sunshine State (winner of the Gold Coast V Blog challenge of ‘08) crossed paths at the not-muddy-at-all Gold Coast V Festival 2009.
They may have been rivals but ’twas a friendly meet ‘n greet for the two happy bloggers. Leopard Lady congratulated Ms Conway on her awesome and well deserved taking out of the Super Rad Global V Pass.
Eleanor and her lovely Camera Guy were documenting the V Festival, Gold Coast stylee, when Leopard Lady and her handsome pal Mr Pirovich came by for an impromptu meeting of the V Bloggers. You may just catch some of the scoop in the Gold Coast leg of Eleanor’s reflections on her Global V Tour.
For more on Leopard Lady’s V Fest 09, stay tuned. This year LL’s Electric Dreams came to life!
With only a few days until the Australian V Festival kicks off, and with me, Eleanor Conway, your trusty Global VPass winner already en route, thought it might be time to whet your appetite with my first tour diary. London to Hong Kong to Sydney… all in a day’s work!
Keep in the loop, subscribe www.youtube.com/elleonline
Also don’t forget to check out Eleanor Conway Presents: Elbow and Flo Rida.
What took Leopard Lady SO long?!! To realise the undeniable importance of icon Neil Young, that is. Headlining Big Day Out 2009 to a massive and responsive crowd, Mr Young, not so young in years now, but definitely ageless in spirit, showed the Gold Coast the raw essence of rock ‘n roll.
Dressed in an eye-catching blazer that could have been designer or possibly the result of a slam dancing session in a messy artist’s studio, Canada’s Neil Young proved his legend status… not like he had anything to prove. Holding nothing back, to the joy of a spongelike audience, he delivered his influential signature sound in songs including Cinnamon Girl, Old Man, Rockin’ In The Free World and a delicious cover of The Beatles’ A Day In The Life.
Leopard Lady has heard these classic songs before, but to see the man perform them himself was nothing short of magic. Making it clear that there is certain genius in Neil Young. Not only in his songwriting but in the freshness of the sounds coming from his guitar and the solid and super-rocking band he lead.
The explosive moment of overwhelming respect and excitement that is now held by Leopard Lady for Mr Neil Young, came when during some serious soloing, he proceeded to unleash Rock Rage as he smashed his guitar to bits and then reversed the ends of the snapped strings onto themselves to create rad distorted sounds out of the wreckage. Mind blowing and rule breaking. Fantastic! Almost 50 Years in the business with no signs of slowing down.
Leopard Lady now knows for herself what all the fuss is about and will humbly go about Googling Mr Young to try to get up to speed… You too can try and keep up with him through his website. He is on tour currently and there is a DIY film comp to get involved in for the extra-keen among you. Good Luck y’all!!
Elbow are set for a summer of love in 2009, music.virgin.com’s Eleanor Conway will be hot on their heels in true stalker fashion as they prepare for V Festival Sydney sunshine, ahead of their UK dates (including V Festival of course!). On the eve of the hotly commended Wembley Arena gig last week, Eleanor Conway gets down and dirty with the boys from Elbow in this exclusive video interview…
Local legends Quan (also of Regurgitator) and I Heart Hiroshima were highlights from Leopard Lady’s experience at Big Day Out 09.
While Leopard Lady is already a fan of Regurgitator, she had heard that Quan had put together an act all of his own and was keen to catch his set at BDO.
Two sneaker-headed, track-suited people entered the stage. One being Quan and the other his gorgeous German drummer, Catharina. Removing the giant sneakers, they proceeded to deliver an innovative hip hop set which was quite intimate and revealing as a lot of the material had the sense of being personal tales. There was a lot of 80’s flavour threaded through it and some exciting spoken word removed from regular rap which was refreshing. Quan is sleek and strong and slammin’. His album The Amateur is out there now. Keep up to date on Quan and see his videos (they rock)on his Facebook page.
I Heart Hiroshima are punky darlings of Brisbane and before we know it they will be heading off to the UK (April and June ‘09) . Leopard Lady is so glad she saw them and was a little regretful she hadn’t seen them earlier. What a powerhouse they have in drummer/vocalist, Susie Patten (she made mention of her surname being the same as legendary Mike Patton- slight spelling error forgiven- who was at BDO with Fantômas and btw, Leopard Lady loved the freak out of). Susie is so tough and cool with a dash of kooky, like when she was playing the tambourine using her head! Her stage presence and skill on the kit reminded Leopard Lady of the incredible Marylise of French band Vialka (see earlier LL blog). That is a massive compliment. The trio Susie on drums and vocals, Matt, guitar and vocals, and Cameron also on guitar achieve a rockin’ big sound with copious ammounts of energy. Watch out United Kingdom!! Check their MySpace for dates and their soon to be released new album.
Only one more installment from Leopard Lady’s Big Day Out to come… worth the wait… Mr Neil Young!
Stay tuned x
At festivals such as The Big Day Out, Leopard Lady often finds herself stage hopping to be able to catch the acts she desires to see. This often results in the making of sacrifices like being just a wee bit far away from the stage in question…
While this can lead to awkward photographic records of the event, in the case of Sneaky Sound System there is no shortage of party vibe which is passed through the crowds and felt powerfully by Leopard Lady.
Their brilliant pop grooves have the whole paddock dancing. They have such a friendly connection with the audience. Gorgeous lead singer, Connie Mitchell banters about the multitudes of beach balls bouncing above the mosh pit like UFOs… a perfect segue. And DJ Double D (Daimon Downey) commandeers a seriously lensed camera during Pictures. They are real fun live and respectably down to earth.
They are heading abroad to the UK in March and even a festival in Florida. Keep track of these Aussie Jetsetters through their MySpace.
Black Kids are so much fun to see live! Leopard Lady was keen to see them at Gold Coast’s Big Day Out festival and their set was a definite highlight. The Converse Essential Stage held a decent crowd with a very happy atmosphere. And as Reggie Youngblood, the band’s vibrant and friendly frontman delighted, practically the entire audience was singing along to their songs. It was refreshing to hear him say how amazing it was to him, hearing the singalong. There was a real down to earth vibe coming from Reggie and the rest of the Black Kids.
Not only are the Black Kids so very cool, their songs are extremely danceable and created a party mode with everyone smiling and excitedly jumping around. So much fun!
Black Kids are BUSY! If you visit their MySpace you can see what part of the world they will be playing next. Maybe they are in your town?! Leopard Lady recommends these fresh pop characters without hesitation. If you are nowhere near them for a live fix, you can start getting a taste for them via their YouTube channel.
The debut album, Partie Traumatic, is out there and contains such rad songs as Hurricane Jane, I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (both songs also appearing on their EP, Wizard of Ahhhs) and Look At Me(When I Rock Wichoo).
Next up on Leopard Lady’s Hot Spots: Sneaky Sound System!
Mr Laneous (& The Family Yah) hail from Leopard Lady’s own hometown of Brisbane. They have an early slot on the Boiler Room stage at Australia’s Big Day Out festival and have drawn a nice crowd who are soon jumping and getting down.
Superstar frontman, Lachlan Mitchell has united a band comprised of some of the funkiest that said River City has to offer and Leopard Lady has seen them display high levels of funkiness in other live outfits as well. The band gives off a raw energy together with very tight grooves and infectious beats.
Besides a set of golden vocal chords, Lachlan posseses rad rhymes and keen style. He happens to be quite handsome also, which doesn’t hurt anyone.
This is a seriously happening project that Leopard Lady suggests you keep your eyes on starting with this YouTube clip of their song Bubblegum to get a taste of the fun hip-hop side of Mr Laneous. But be assured there is even much more to them… there’s funk, jazz, reggae, soul and heart melting croon… and there’s a promised LP to come - St. Ill Regal.
Keep yourself posted as Leopard Lady surely will, through their MySpace.
More of Leopard Lady’s Big Day Out highlights to come, including Sneaky Sound System, Black Kids, Quan The Amateur, and Neil Young! But, just wait, there’s more…
This one’s for all you budding Aussie rock stars. V Festival Australia wants you to show us all what you’re made of. All you have to do is pick a song from a V Festival Australia 09 artist, no matter how far back in their catalogue, and offer your own interpretation. Capture your performance on camera, upload it to YouTube and the very best (or the worst) will be posted on the V Festival Australia website and an esteemed panel will pick the funniest or the best.
The one the V Fest guys think is the best will get to be a rock star - for real! First of all Virgin Mobile Australia will make sure you get rock star treatment at the V Festival in your city where you’ll watch bands from dedicated viewing platforms, drink and eat for free and of course be on the guest list! Then afterwards you will take a Virgin Blue flight to Sydney and be on your way to LA - the home of all that rocks, thanks to Virgin Blue’s brand spanking new international airline, V Australia.
So what are you wating for? All eligible Aussies should head straight on over to vfestival.com.au to enter. Rock on…
Razorlight have been added to the V Festival Australia lineup. Johnny Borrell and the boys will now join The Killers, Snow Patrol, Kaiser Chiefs, Elbow and Duffy on the four dates across Australia: Sydney (28 March), Gold Coast (29 March), Melbourne (4 April) and Perth (5 April).
Razorlight are heading to their first ever shows in Australia next week where their Sydney and Melbourne gigs quickly sold out. But as a treat for Virgin Mobile customers in Oz who didn’t manage to get their hands on the sought after tickets, Virgin Mobile has grabbed the last 40 tickets to each show and is giving them away free!
To get your hands on a double pass, all you have to do is line up @ Virgin Mobile Pitt Street in Sydney tomorrow (Wednesday January 28), or Swanston Street in Melbourne on Thursday (January 29) before 1pm. It’s first in best dressed so get there early…
Razorlight play the Metro in Sydney on Thursday January 29, and The Hi Fi Bar in Melbourne on Saturday January 31.
The last 40 tickets will be given away from 1pm:
SYDNEY - Virgin Mobile Store at Westfield Centrepoint, Pitt St Mall, City on Wednesday Jan 28 (from 1pm).
MELBOURNE - Virgin Mobile Store, 133 Swanston St, City on Thursday Jan 29 (from 1pm).
For all you eager Aussie beavers quivering with anticipation over the forthcoming Australia V Festivals - here’s a flashback to this year’s awesome V Festivals in Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth. Watch Queens Of The Stone Age rule the stage with Make It Wit Chu.
If you missed it before, here’s the interview with QOTSA backstage at the Melbourne V Festival: watch the QOTSA interview
The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs, Snow Patrol, Elbow, Duffy, Louis XIV, Tame Impala, The Do, The Temper Trap and The Canyons are already on the V Festival lineup for 2009 and tickets are on sale now. Check out vfestival.com.au for more details…
The Kaiser Chiefs, fresh from the success of their new album Off With Their Heads, are now looking forward to heading over to Australia in March with The Killers, Snow Patrol, Elbow and Duffy for their four dates on the V Festival tour - Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth.
Here’s a ‘making of Never Miss A Beat’ video for you to enjoy in the meantime (worth it to see Ricky’s ‘walk the dog’ yo-yo skills in action, his surreal diva ‘I don’t want to be an anchorman’ moment and his umbrella-in-strong-wind dexterity). And be sure to look out for the second single off the album - Good Days, Bad Days - it’s brilliant… Can’t wait to see them at V Festival Australia…
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