Gang of Youths

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gang of Youths

Sydney Opera House

8 August 2026

 

I’m sure he would hate this comparison but David Le’aupepe reminds me a bit of a preacher standing in front of a congregation. I think he learned a trick or two growing up as part of the Hillsong community (which he now calls a cult).

 

I know that it’s a cliché to say that he had the audience in the palm of his hand, but it’s safe to say that we were all in his thrall from the moment he set foot on stage. He has charisma to burn. He is passionate. He is engaging and he has amazing songs.

 

Admittedly, instead of proselytising about bible verses, he sings about the human condition. Heartbreak. Depression. Anxiety. Grief. Love. Joy. And eventually recovery. Not a million miles from the scriptures now I think about it.

 

Playing their first shows in 3 years in the relatively intimate setting of the Sydney Opera House, you can tell that this concert means a lot to the band. There’s something about this iconic venue that is special, but I imagine that it’s even more so when growing up you could see the venue from his aunt’s house (admittedly you had to stand on top of his aunt’s washing machine to do so).

 

Dave L made a point saying that they were playing a set they wanted to play. It wasn’t full on rockers from start to finish. He started the show slowly, playing Hand of God, an album track from their previous album. Their most popular song (Magnolia) was performed solo, stripping it of the band arrangement, but none of its power. It highlighted the already personal lyrics and made the moment both communal and intimate at the same time. They played three songs from an unreleased (and unannounced) new album. But they also played their big hits (Angel of 8^th Avenue, In the Wake of your Leave and Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows).

 

These hits really highlighted the appeal of the band. Again, I think they would hate this comparison, but with the whole congregation (sorry, I mean crowd) singing as one it felt a little like being in church.

 

 

Paul Dempsey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Dempsey

Canberra Theatre Centre

18 July 2026

 

What makes a song your own? Does writing give you ownership? It certainly helps, but it’s not the only way of owning a song. For instance, Sinead O’Connor owns Nothing Compares to You even though she didn’t write it. There’s no doubt she has recorded the definitive version.

 

Another question. What makes an evening in the theatre listening to someone do a set entirely of cover versions different from listening to a busker do covers in the street?

 

What Paul Dempsey did was play familiar songs but show them in a new light. He played the entire show solo, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar. It wasn’t just the simple presentation of these songs that made them new, it was how he interpreted them. The way he phrased the lyrics, drawing particular attention to certain lines and with his excellent guitar playing it really fleshed out the music.

 

Particular highlights were Ship of Fools and Boys of Summer. Both interpretations made me think of familiar songs in a new way, but these weren’t the only highlights.

 

To answer the second question, I think the difference between listening to a covers band in a pub and Paul Dempsey’s covers is talent. He’s an incredible singer, a great guitarist and a world class interpreter of songs. Which leads back to the original question. What makes a song your own? His interpretation of these standards made you feel like he definitely owned them. They were his songs. It’s just that someone else happened to write them.

The Audreys

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Audreys

Street Theatre

11 June 2026

 

A few years ago, I had ambitions to be a published music critic. I wrote a review about the Audreys and submitted it to the local music press. As is my style, in my review I wrote something along the lines of “The Audreys are one of Australia’s best blues and roots bands (whatever that is)” and received a “thanks but no thanks” letter  from the publication. No big deal.

 

What was a big deal though, was the feedback from the editor that came with the rejection. “When writing about music it helps to know what genre you are writing about”. Ouch. The words still sting. I know that criticism sticks with you more than praise, but I couldn’t shake that. I have rarely been so completely misunderstood. I was going for humour and a bit of levity, not just a straight report of the gig. They completely missed that. But also – does anyone really know what “Blues and Roots” music is?

 

Vindication of my view on that the definition of Blues and Roots is a bit vague came from perhaps the greatest source. A few years later, on winning an ARIA award, the Audreys themselves said in a social media post “we won an ARIA for Blues and Roots … (whatever that is...)” Ha! In your face local street press editor!   

 

Celebrating the 20^th anniversary of their debut album, the Audreys didn’t play the album in order as so many bands do, instead they played a selection of songs from their career. Highlights obviously included tracks from their debut album, such as You & Steve McQueen and Oh Honey but they also included recent single Beatles vs Stones a recent International Songwriting Competition award winner, Sometimes the Stars (a rarely played track due to a strange guitar tuning) and Beyond Compare – a song dedicated to Audreys founder Tristan Goodall who passed away aged 48.

 

In her own words, lead singer Taasha Coates is a big oversharer (but admits that because she’s a songwriter that comes with the territory). She writes sad songs, however, the songs have a lightness to them. Sad but never depressing. The gig was like being in the company of a really cool friend. Her stories are fun, she makes you feel good about yourself (even if sometimes that’s at her own expense) and then she breaks into a song. It’s perfect really.

 

No Audreys gig would be complete without their cover of the INXS classic Don’t Change. A song they have made their own. Taasha Coates told the story that at their early gigs they had an EP for sale. People would come to the merch desk and ask if the cover was on the EP. When they received a negative answer they wordlessly walked away… so they decided to put it on their debut album! A good choice.

 

It was a highlight of the night, but it was one of many.   

 

The Audreys are still one of Australia’s best blues and roots bands.

 

Boom Crash Opera / James Reyne

 

Boom Crash Opera / James Reyne

Canberra Southern Cross Club

2 April 2026

 

“We’re going to play a new song”.

 

Is there a any phrase you dread to hear more coming from the stage than that one?

 

Boom Crash Opera even made a joke about it. James Reyne pointed people to the bar.

 

There must be something so disheartening when you’re nearly 60 to know that all people want to hear is work you did in your early 20s, so it’s understandable wanting to play a new song or two. You have lived a life and want to write about it. Surely that’s one of the reasons you formed a band in the first place.

 

On the other hand, there must be something satisfying seeing a thousand people singing your song lyrics back to you. You don’t get that in an office job! So understandably both Boom Crash Opera and James Reyne stuck to the hits.

 

It’s self-evident, but the reason why the songs are hits is because people like them. You could see it in the artist’s faces the joy and appreciation when the crowd sang the lyrics back to them that were written when they were young men. The songs had woven their way into the audience’s lives and they were happy to be reminded of when they first heard them, or special moments, or who they were with. It’s a rare treat for musicians. 

 

Both artists started off with a big hit (Great Wall and Boys Light Up respectively) which is only something you can do if you have enough big hits left in your bag to play later. And they did! James Reyne was celebrating 40 years of Australian Crawl and played most of their big hits and some hits of his own. Boom Crash Opera mainly stuck to their heyday of the late 80s, but no one was complaining!

 

Unfortunately, both artists were let down by a terrible mix. It flattened the songs, removing all subtlety. A side note, but one that is relevant, is that Canberra really needs a good venue for mid-sized bands to play. Playing in what was essentially a conference venue (you could almost see where the conference tables had been removed) wasn’t ideal.

 

Both bands overcame these obstacles and put on a show which delivered exactly what the audience was after.

Pulp - Sydney Opera House

 

Pulp

Sydney Opera House

6 March 2026

 

 

If push came to shove, I think Britpop is my favourite musical genre. Even beyond the usual Oasis verses Blur debate, there was lots of music that I really liked. It was melodic, it was guitar driven (but not too heavy) and it was exciting.

 

However, while the music of Britpop was great, there were some definite downsides. The lad culture, the low-key misogyny and the boozy louts were all things that are best left behind in the 90s.   

 

Pulp (along with my favourite Britpop band Suede) mostly stood outside of much of this. They wrote little vignettes stories of everyday life. Jarvis Cocker was always a chronicler of human stories and emotions.

 

In 2025 Pulp recorded a new album (24 years since their previous one) called More. Jarvis continued his kitchen sink dramas, but this time he was telling stories of middle age. Farmers Markets feature for god’s sake! Commuting and worrying about wrinkles do too, for that matter. But he was older so had some wisdom to share. It was an album for older people. But not old people. It was excellent.

 

The concert itself was incredible. A fair section of More featured, but the bulk of the set was drawn from their classic Different Class album. They also played other hits and deeper cuts. In fact, they played pretty much every song that you would want to hear. The opening of Sorted for E’s and Wizz and Disco 2000 was as good an opening of a concert as I’ve seen and they kept the momentum up for the whole set.

 

Unfortunately push did come to shove at various points in the show. Some of the crowd may have had a few too many drinks before Pulp arrived on stage. Maybe they were trying to reclaim their youth (there’s nothing sadder than a bunch of middle-aged men who still think they are still 20 and can handle their drink like they used to). Or maybe they were just dickheads. A few idiots shouldn’t ruin the show, but it did take me out of the performance for a couple of songs.

 

It makes me wonder if these people actually listened to the songs that were being performed or were they just singing along to the catchy choruses. They were definitely the worst part of Britpop culture personified.

 

But in the end, it didn’t matter. Pulp were excellent. And you can’t do much about dickheads.

 

Pulp = 5 stars. The audience (where I was standing) = 1 star. 

Jacob Collier

 

Jacob Collier

International Convention Centre

11 December 2025

 

Encores are a strange thing. Both the audience and the performer know that they’re a bit of a farce. After the main set, the performer leaves the stage and the audience cheers for them to return to play their most famous song. That’s the deal.

 

But what if a performer throws these rules out of the window and does something else?

 

In many ways that’s exactly what Jacob Collier did. If you look at the setlist it says that he played three cover songs for his encore - We Will Rock You, Wonderful World and Somebody To Love. While he did perform those songs, that only tells a very small part of the story.

 

The main set was a genre bending adventure. It had elements of rock, jazz, classical, even a touch of musical theatre. It was part rock, part orchestral (although no orchestra instruments were involved), part pub choir and pure magic. It was held together by a musical genius. That word gets thrown around too much, but I think it stands up in this instance. In fact, I think it’ll only be in the future that his genius is recognised.

 

The encore exemplifies the whole concert. It felt like a brand-new thing. Something I’d never seen before that was created in the moment and truly unique.

 

It started off small, expanded, contracted, and then brought to a crescendo. It featured the audience doing animal noises (truly), stomping their feet, providing harmonies, and being an active participant in the show. It was surreal, but also brilliant. I don’t think you could really plan it. Or maybe more accurately a non-musical genius couldn’t plan it.

 

Jacob Collier improvised the encore around the three songs mentioned above. He was a conductor working in real time without a script and his joy was infectious. He started off solo, then brought in the crowd to harmonise and create rhythm (the animal noises), at one point I thought he was losing the crowd because what he was doing was so delicate and fragile.

 

In anyone elses hands I think it would have fallen apart, but he is so (rightfully) confident in his musical ability that he knew how far he could stretch the audience without breaking before he brought it all back together. The band came in for the last minute of Somebody to Love and this 30 minute, one song, three movement encore was brought to a conclusion. I’m sure I’ve never seen anything like it and I doubt I will again. It was mesmerising.

Sam Fender / Holly Humberstone

 

Sam Fender / Holly Humberstone

21 November 2025

Entertainment Quarter – Sydney

It almost feels revolutionary to see a band playing music on a stage with no (or very little) production tricks. But that’s what Sam Fender is all about. Eight musicians running through a tight set.

 

I imagine that it was a bit like seeing Springsteen just prior to Born in the USA. A super tight band, a selection of excellent songs, perhaps with one or two hits short of perfection.

 

There’s an emotional depth to Sam Fender’s best songs, many of them speaking directly to young men, that is foreign territory to but a very few contemporary artists.

 

In Spit of You he articulates the heartbreaking lack of communication between fathers and sons. He either has a broken relationship with his own father, or has managed to tap into something that a lot of young men can relate to. The key lyric is “I can talk to anyone, but I can’t talk to you”. I think this is where he is at his best. He manages to express deep held emotions that you can feel, but can’t put into words.

 

In Hypersonic Missiles he addresses geopolitics in a way that’s a million miles away from sloganeering. He expresses the helplessness people feel about what’s happening in the world, but the song is ultimately about hope. In a weird way, it’s a love song about celebrating life when there’s so much not to celebrate. It’s quite a trick he’s managed to pull off.  

 

Other highlights that show this emotional depth were People Watching (“People watching on the way back home, Gives me a break from feeling alone”), but perhaps my favourite was Seventeen Going Under. In it he speaks to the bottled up rage and young men feel, how difficult it is to stand up for your friends. The song addresses how you can feel scared but not wanitng it to happen again and in hindsight you’d do something different  (“I was far too scared to hit him, But I would hit him in a heartbeat now” …)

 

A few more moments like that would have lifted this concert and made it unforgettable.

 

Holly Humberstone provided an excellent support to Sam Fender.

 

The word the comes to mind is delicate. But also strong. She’s not fragile. There’s definite steel underneath her sweet melodies. She wears her heart on her sleeve, her songs bring together folky elements, a little bit gothic but with a modern twist – interesting synth textures and punchy rhythms make these songs feel very current.

 

Stand out songs were The Walls Are Way Too Thin and Paint My Bedroom Black. She brought her short set to a close with Scarlet.

 

It shows some confidence to play a couple of completely new tracks from an upcoming album when you are a support act, but both Cruel World and To Love Somebody were both excellent and are good signs that her next album will be one to look out for. Next time I would hope to hear a longer set. Maybe she’ll be headlining in the future? 

Oasis

 

Oasis

Accor Stadium

8 November 2025

 

Oasis’s musical and spiritual forefathers, the Beatles, once sang that “we could work it out” and there is “no time for fussing and fighting my friend”.  

 

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the world is a basket case at the moment. We can point to countless wars that never seem to end, political crises that are showing that lessons of the past haven’t been learned and a world that is burning that we seem unwilling to do anything about it. Who would ever have guess that the bright light among all of this chaos would be a rock band fronted by two brothers (who, let’s be honest, have a long history of fussing and fighting).

 

But they are. And while it is surprising, it is also beautiful to see two brothers that haven’t spoken for 16 years, not just playing shows, but genuinely enjoying themselves and being in each other’s company. During that long hiatus, it wasn’t ever certain that the two brothers would work it out at all.

 

It’s quite something to open your reunion tour with a 7-song run that has 3 album tracks, 2 B-sides and only 2 singles. In fact, there is so much quality in their back catalogue that they don’t play 5 (not a typo) UK number 1 hits in the setlist. 

 

But what they do play is pretty much everything you would want to hear. They play the big hits, fan favourites, singalongs. The lot. More importantly than that though, they play like they have a point to prove. After 16 years away from the stage, they come out all guns blazing and don’t let up.

 

Their mission statement seems to be to remind you that they’re the best rock band in the world. That’s not just a glib statement. They really believe it. But more than just belief - they have the songs, the attitude and the hunger to back that up.

 

Usually by the time a band is able to play a stadium, they lose a bit of their hunger and their need to prove themselves. The “fighting against the world” spirit that took them from small clubs to the bigger stages is replaced with the confidence that you have an audience. You don’t need to prove yourself. You’ve already done that.

 

But what if you thought you lost it and want it back? That’s the situation Oasis find themselves in in 2025. 

 

 

It might sound a bit obvious, but while all their big singalong hits have a softer pop-rock element to them, at their core is a rock band. They come out from the first song hard and don’t let up. It was easy to imagine them playing in a small Manchester club in the 90s (if you ignored the 70,000 fans). But while the band that played in the clubs had the attitude, they didn’t have the catalogue of Oasis classics. So along with Live Forever, Slide Away and Cigarettes and Alcohol, you get Some Might Say, Supersonic, and the sublime Champagne Supernova. Honestly just reading the setlist is an embarrassment of riches.

 

There was no fussing or fighting. Not in the setlist. Not among the musicians. I’m really glad Oasis worked it out.

Pub Choir

 

Why the hell would you go to a choir if you can’t sing?

 

It feels a bit ridiculous. Prior to attending, the very idea certainly made me feel uncomfortable. One thing for certain is that you definitely feel like a fish out of water. But in the end, none of that matters.

 

The beauty of pub choir is that you’re in the company of friends. The most singing experience that half the audience has is singing in the car. For the other half, they haven’t sung in a choir since school (and judging by the crowd, that was probably last century).

 

As I said, there’s nothing to worry about. You’re in safe hands. Choirmaster Astrid Jorgensen is a force of nature. Part school teacher, part comedian, part musician and wholly unique. Her enthusiasm is infectious. She has a razor sharp brain that she uses to deadly effect. She gently, but firmly, keeps the audience on track. It’s a bit like a blue heeler corralling a mob of wild sheep and making them do what it wants. Ultimately her goal isn’t to make us better singers. Her philosophy is that we’re all average at best (the name of the tour) but collectively we can sing a song together. She’s confident she can do this and ultimately she’s right.  

 

Armed with little more than a PowerPoint slide show enhanced with memes and GIFs to let us know what she wants (and an accompanying guitarist) she takes us through her song choice (tonight it is Get What You Give by the New Radicals). She splits the crowd into three parts (low, middle and high) and runs each of the sections through their parts.

 

The high section is filled with the most energetic singers (these people were probably in a choir in school and can actually sing). This is both a positive and a negative. Sometimes their enthusiasm takes them to places Astrid didn’t think they should go and sing notes that don’t quite work. Her deadpan delivery and quick brain very gently, but firmly, puts them back in their place “that’s a lovely note, but it’s not exactly the note that is on the slide”. That might come across as a bit stern, but her delivery of this makes you feel more encouraged than deflated.

 

I think the surprise of the night was the low section. This section is filled mostly with men and, I suspect, these people are usually the ones that are dragged to the show by their partners and are more the reluctant singers. This is where I was standing. Not that I was dragged there, but I was certainly a reluctant singer. This group usually needs more encouragement than the high section. But on this night, Astrid was visibly impressed. I mean we weren’t good, but we were on the notes. I’d say we were bang on average! I consider this a big win.

Fanning Dempsey National Park - Canberra Theatre

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fanning Dempsey National Park

Canberra Theatre

18/5/25

 

The easy path for older rock stars to take is to churn out the hits to receptive crowds until you retire. It’s a guaranteed way to have your fans leave satisfied every night. You just need to keep repeating this every year or two and you’d have a very successful life. This applies even more so when you are the lead singer from 90s icons Powerfinger or Something For Kate. There’s a back catalogue of hits that you can draw from which everyone knows and everyone likes.

 

However, I can’t imagine that would be too musically satisfying and that’s not the path that Bernard Fanning and Paul Dempsey took for their new project Fanning Dempsey National Park. It speaks to my musical taste but I’m not sure there was much more musical ground left to explore by the tail end of Powderfinger or Something for Kate’s careers. Similarly, for a solo career, rehashing their old hits or mining the same musical ground they did with their old groups doesn’t sound like it would be too interesting. Surely, part of being an artist is to try new things, explore new music and to create.

 

I’m not 100% sure the rest of the crowd agreed with me but I really liked it. Clues about what to expect from the set came early with the warm up music. Prince (Raspberry Beret), John Waite (I’m not missing you) and Lou Gramm (Midnight Blue) set the mood. Their new album reminds me of early Simple Minds, Icehouse and Roxy Music.  It’s electro and 80s influenced, but with the steady hand of two of the greatest songwriters that Australia has produced.

 

The gig was played to a lightshow and background that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a Countdown set. This suited their new album down to the ground.

The choice of covers might have raised an eyebrow in their previous bands, but they fitted right into the set – Wouldn’t it be good (Nick Kershaw) and Under Pressure (Bowie/Queen) explored the same musical ground as their album. They also recast some of their old hits with this new found spirit and sound. Pick You Up was especially great. It started off with an electronic keyboard setting the mood, before building into an anthemic ending.  

 

Whether this is a whole new path these songwriters are going to take or just an interesting diversion in their career it’s too early to say. But the songs are as good as any they’ve previously written and I, for one, would be more than happy to hear more like this.

Ben Lee - Belconnen Arts Centre

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ben Lee

Belconnen Arts Centre

12 April 2025

 

 

The best thing about seeing an artist live is that you are in the moment. It’s not a recording. It’s a once in a lifetime event, never to be repeated. You don’t always feel that when you go to one of the big touring shows. Understandably, they have big productions (lights, confetti, etc) which have to be the same night after night.

 

Which is why seeing an artist in a small venue can be such a treat. It takes confidence to play a show without a setlist and not make it feel like a gimmick, but that’s what Ben Lee did. Not only did the show “feel” unique. It definitely was unique. No two shows on this tour will be the same. After playing a few songs, he said “let’s open this up to requests”. But he also said “don’t request Catch my disease, or Cigarette’s will kill you… I’m going to play those. I’ve been in the business for 35 years… I know which side my bread is buttered on”.

 

I can’t think of a better quote to sum up the show. Usually when an artist plays a new song it’s a sign to head to the bar but when most of the set is obscure songs, you have to be pretty sure of your material and that you can hold the attention of the audience. He played songs from all the periods of his long career, from when he was a teenager, to when was dating famous actresses, to his side projects and also his 90s heyday.

 

Audience members got respect for requesting obscure songs, which he dutifully played. Sometimes he forgot the lyrics to these songs, but that was part of the charm. Watching him google them from the stage was very amusing. It definitely added to the show and created a sense of community.

 

He asked us if it was OK for him to forget the pretend “hide and seek” game of going off for an encore, and said that the next few songs would be “bonus songs”. They certainly were. That’s when he brought out his big hits. As he said, he knew what he was doing. It was definitely a show not to be repeated. But one I’d happily revisit anytime.

Blossoms - Enmore Theatre

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blossoms

Enmore Theatre

15 March 2025

 

Sometimes I question whether it is it worth it. Going to gigs that is. Being honest, travelling to another city to see a band is kind of crazy. First of all, there’s the expense, then there’s the hassle of being away from home. Often, I travel by myself, as I find it hard to get someone to come with me. That isn’t the easiest thing in the world. In short, it’s a lot of effort. Is it worth it?

 

This question is brought into sharp focus when the band you want to see is a support band and they’re guaranteed to play a short set.

 

It has to be said that there aren’t many advantages to being an Australian fan of UK music. They’re not always part of the cultural zeitgeist, so it’s hard keeping up with any current news and releases. Back when you had to actually buy records, they were often imports at inflated prices, and you had to wait months to get them. Finally, the bands hardly ever tour here. But when they do come you need to grasp the opportunity with both hands. I wasn’t going to let this opportunity go to waste. 

 

One of the advantages of seeing UK bands, however, is the chance to see them in relatively intimate venues. Blossoms (from Stockport, just outside Manchester) were supporting Kasabian and they played the relatively small Enmore Theatre, as compared to their recent hometown show to 30,000 fans!

 

It was almost like seeing them when they were just starting out. The stage props were non-existent, their lighting show was rudimentary. But the songs! Oh my god the songs! With only a limited time for their set, they focussed on their big hitters and they knocked it out of the park. They played a set that picked the eyes out of their five album back catalogue.

 

They were incredible. Really incredible. All those years of performing on larger stages really showed. They are a band that knows what they’re doing. Tight, but also loose. Note perfect, but also willing to cut loose when required. Having an arsenal of great songs definitely helps, but knowing how to perform them is essential.

 

Yes, the set was too short. Yes, I travelled too far to see them. Yes, it was a big effort. But would I do it again? Yes, no question. In a heartbeat. It was definitely worth it!

 

A postscript.

 

As Blossoms were the support band, I had found myself at the front barrier for the set, but decided that I wasn’t really interested in Kasabian so I went to the back of the theatre to watch them. After watching a handful of songs of the headliner I’d had enough, so decided to leave the venue. As I was walking out, I ran into the lead singer and drummer from Blossoms!!! Unbelievable! I told them that I’d travelled 300kms to see them and that they were amazing! I asked for a selfie (and they happily obliged). I shook their hands and went home very happy!