This week's music review from David Kowalski includes an Oasis reunion tour "reveal" and ripping news — Spinal Tap is back!
OASIS REUNION TOUR LINEUP "LEAKED"
The band’s lineup hasn't been released officially, but British music and culture website New Musical Express (NME) has "leaked" lineup details that were revealed by a “close source”.
Allegedly, ringleaders Liam and Noel Gallagher will be joined by former Oasis member Andy Bell on bass, former Beady Eye guitarist Gem Archer, original Oasis guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs and drummer Joey Waronker (who filled in on drums in REM after Bill Berry left the band).
I've covered the Oasis reunion tour at length in these pages and while unofficial, I would still take NME's "reveal" more seriously than I would Liam’s attempt to throw media and fans off the scent.
Oasis has announced that Peaky Blinders producer Steven Knight will be making a documentary of the tour.
BAMBOOS BIG IT UP WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA
A couple of weekends ago, I had the pleasure of seeing The Bamboos with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra at the Enlighten Festival in Canberra.
At my son's insistence, who first saw the advertisement for the show (thanks, mate), we trudged down the Federal Highway and spent the evening with around 1,000 other people to watch Melbourne’s premier funk band.
As the sun went down and the park’s colony of flying foxes flew overhead, guitarist and bandleader Lance Ferguson and his funked-up friends played some of their best-known work with the orchestra, which was superbly conducted by Jessica Gethin.
The set was basically an encore performance of the live set captured on vinyl on the Bamboos with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra live at Hamer Hall album in 2022, with all orchestrations written by the band’s trumpet player Ross Irwin.
The Bamboos made great use of the orchestra to accompany the big voice of vocalist Kylie Auldist, whose performance absolutely shone on the night. The band was also allowed to cut loose on some of their funkiest pieces, such as 'Red Triangle', which set the dancefloor ablaze at the front of the stage.
Speaking to the band’s manager at the Merch tent, they are keen to head north to NSW and the ACT again, and I, for one, will be front and centre waiting to see them again. The Bamboos sound great on wax, but live, this band provides a concert experience like no other.
SPINAL TAP TURNS THE AMPS TO 11 ONCE AGAIN
For musicians and music fans alike, the 1984 film This is Spinal Tap is essential viewing.
In the film, a fictional British heavy metal band is followed around by filmmaker Marty de Bergi (Rob Reiner) on its 1982 U.S. tour. Made up of Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St Hubbins (Michael McKean) and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) the band struggles with interpersonal clashes and dwindling audiences as its members traipse across America, with hilarious consequences.
I am pleased to report that after all these years, a sequel of sorts is hitting our screens in September 2025. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues sees Reiner again in his guise as Marty De Bergi following the band as members discover they are contractually obliged to play one last show, thanks to a decades-old contract that went unfulfilled and was then forgotten about after manager Ian Faith (Tony Hendra) passed away.
Can't wait to see this — and the reissued 41st anniversary cinematic release of the original film, also, as I was too young to see it in cinemas the first time around.
NEW MUSIC FROM EX-POWDERFINGER GUITARIST
Much loved Brisbane band Powderfinger called it quits in 2010. However, band members haven’t totally retreated into the background.
Vocalist Bernard Fanning has carved himself out a rather healthy solo career. Guitarist Darren Middleton has played in bands such as Drag and has released a few solo albums, while drummer John Collins became a journalist.
Guitarist Ian Haug has kept himself busy by replacing Marty Wilson-Piper for a time in The Church and has now created a new solo project called Town Ghost. Haug said in Tone Deaf magazine regarding Town Ghost’s Celtic-flavoured first single 'Lift Your Feet Up', 'We just channelled the universe and this is the result. It’s quite an exciting ball of energy'.
The track certainly has a whole host of seemingly contrasting sounds, from banjos to dreamy synths and heavy rhythmic drums reminiscent of the late John Bonham of Led Zeppelin.
It’s maybe not an immediate eardrum tickler; however, after a few listens, the beauty will reveal itself.
HIATUS KAIYOTE ROBBERY
Melbourne-based future-soul band Hiatus Kaiyote has reported the loss of thousands of dollars of vintage music gear after its Melbourne storage shed was broken into recently.
This could not have come at a worse time for the band as it prepares to head to the U.S. for a 14-date tour in August this year.
As the band urged on social media:
'WE WILL REBUILD. Having a bunch of our shit stolen will NOT stop us from bringing the heat to YOU, people of America! That’s right, we are going back on tour through the USA, and no amount of thieving c*nts can stop us!'
How good would it be if any Melbourne second-hand vendors who "came across" the gear – listed here – dropped the band a line so they could reclaim it?
Because replacing vintage equipment, insured or not, would prove beyond the ability of most of us.
Until next time…
LISTEN TO THIS WEEK'S SPECIALLY CURATED PLAYLIST BELOW:
David Kowalski is a writer, musician, educator, sound engineer and podcaster. His podcasts 'The Sound and the Fury Podcast' and 'Audio Cumulus' can be heard exclusively HERE. You can follow David on Twitter/X @sound_fury_pod.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License
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