Damon Albarn live

So it has occurred to me I had yet to review the gig I went to whilst on my travels in Australia....

On 16th Dec, I managed to get hold of free tickets to Damon Albarn's show at the Sydney Opera House, courtesy of my sister. I had already seen Damon Albarn live when he headlined at Glastonbury with Gorillaz. However, I was eager to see what he would be like going it alone

Just as a quick summary, Damon Albarn first ht the music scene in 1988 with his band Blur. It was not until 1990 however that blur got their big break. Despite their success, Blur have found themselves in the middle of media spats, bust ups, and rivalries (both in and out of the band). Saying that after taking a hiatus, Blur are due to release their eighth album "The Magic Whip." Another successful band Albarn has been a central force behind is the 'virtual band' Gorillaz. Working alongside Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz released their self titled debut album in 2003. To date, they have released four albums, the last being 'The Fall' in 2011.

Anyway back to the gig.

Starting the evening off with Spitting Out the Demons, Damon Albarn had the 2000+ seated crowd immediately up on their feet.  He has such a stage presence (laughing, smiling and jumping around) it is easy to see how he has become such a name in the music world. Saying that, I was relieved I wasn't sat too near to the front - Albarn had a tendency to sprout water all over the first few rows throughout the gig.

Albarn sang tracks that spanned across his 20+ year career by also performing tracks from his Blur and Gorillaz days.

For me the highlight was having De La Soul come out on stage to perform Feel Good Inc. As a huge  Gorillaz fan, it was awesome seeing the original guys rapping and singing it out on stage. Going by the crowd around me, my feelings were definitely shared.

The set list for the evening included: Spitting Out the Demons, Lonely Press Play, Everyday Robots, Tomorrow Comes Today, Slow Country, Kids With Guns, Three Changes, Hostiles, Photographs, Kingdom of Doom, You and Me, Hallow Ponds, El Manana, Don't Get Lost In Heaven, Out of Time, All Your Life. Encoure: End of a Century, Mr Tembo, Clint Eastwood, Feel Good Inc (ft De La Soul) and Heavy Seas of Love.

Overall I had a great night of music. If I am being honest, before the evening I was more excited about the venue itself, however, Albarn proved to be a great performer and delivered a hugely energetic and exciting show.

Damon Albarn currently has not upcoming live shows, however for more information please check out his website: http://www.damonalbarnmusic.com/tour/

The Pretty Reckless Music Gig

The Pretty Reckless has certainly made headlines for themselves over the last year. Being dubbed as a terrible role model for her young fans, lead singer Taylor Momsen has certainly been the center of attention recently.

Despite this however, the bands music is very good! This alternative American rock band from New York released their debut single"Make Me Wanna Die" on May 13th 2010. This single was followed by the release of their debut album "Light Me Up" on August 30th.

Bands similar to the Pretty Reckless include Paramore, Avril Lavigne, and Ke$ha.

The Pretty Reckless although new to the music scene, have received a lot of great reviews for their gigs. Lead singer, Taylor Momsen oozes confidence when she sings and always puts a tremendous amount of enthusiasm into all her performances.It should be added however, the crowd is usually made up of mostly 12-20 year old screaming female fans!

A set list for one of their shows was: Since You’re Gone, Miss Nothing, Light Me Up, Zombie, Goin’ Down, Just Tonight, My Medecine, Like A Stone, Factory Girl, Islands/I Love The Way You Lie (acoustic), Nothing Left To Lose (acoustic), Super Sonic/Time Is Running Out, Make Me Wanna Die.

If you are looking for a night of awesome live rock music from an extremely talented 17yr old than this is a gig for you.

Tour dates:
12th June. Download Festival - Domington, UK
3rd July. Hyde Park - Hyde Park, UK

For more information regarding their European tour dates visit: European Tour Dates

The Script Music Gig

This Irish pop/ rock band is a definite must see! The Script have released two great albums, the self titled debut album "The Script," and the recently released "Science & Faith." The Script have had a number of great single releases including We Cry, The Man Who Cant Be Moved, and For The First Time.

If you like the bands OneRepublic, The Fray and Scouting For Girls, than this is a band for you.

The Script has received many rave reviews for their live performances and gigs. Due to their songs ranging from sensitive pop ballads to catchy rock songs, the crowd can always look forward to a night of top quality music. Also since the Script has a variety of different songs, you can always expect to see a pretty mixed crowd. Another reason to why The Script's live performances are so good is because of Danny O'Donoghue, the bands lead singer. Not only does he have a fantastic vocal talent, but he has a great showmanship which never fails to get the crowd going.

I would defiantly suggest getting tickets to see this band live.

Tour Dates 
14th - 15th May. BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend 2011 - Carlisle, UK
4th June. Rumsey Playfield - New York, US.
10th - 12th June. Isle of Wight Festival 2011 - Newport, UK.
12th June. Seaclose Park - Newport, UK
8th - 10th July. T in the Park 2011 - Kinross, UK
12th July. iTunes Festival 2011 - Camden,  UK
14th July. Thetford Forest - Suffolk, UK
17th July. Brighton Centre - Brighton, UK
20th - 21st August. V Festival 2011 - Staffordshire, UK

For more information about tickets or about the rest of their American and Europe tour check out: The Script tickets