Various Artists - Triple J Live At The Wireless: From The Vault Vol.2 (DVD)
Finally home after a long day of work and other errands, I wanted to get inside, but I was really enjoying listening to Triples J’s Rosie Beaton and her show Love and Hate Tuesday, when I eventually turned it off and went inside, I was beside myself with delight to have the new Triple J, Live at the Wireless CD/DVD to review.
After displaying no self discipline I watched the entire DVD and listened to the entire CD immediately. It’s now very late, I have to be at work again in a few short hours. I don’t care though because I feel like I have been to the best festival with an awesome line up in my PJ’s!
An attempt to give an unbiased opinion would be feeble because I love triple J and I love live music, so the combination of the two is enough to keep me going for a while yet.
Triple J have great sound engineers and they make many claims about the brilliant work that is done when recording a live show, however as an regular live gig attendee I can say somewhat disappointingly that a CD and home speakers are never going to totally capture the essence of a live show.
The line includes a delicious taste of bands who are really prominent in the music scene at the moment, however these songs are ‘from the vault’ so not everyone will access the connection to the songs. Opening with Silverchair was an intelligent move, not just as a ex Newcastle citizen, but these guys know how to get their crowd going, so they will know how to get you going when you play this CD and you first hear Daniel's voice crying “Alright, let’s see if you can get your dance shoes on!”
Well are they on? It’s ok, if you are just in your lounge room, put them on, cos you are going to need them by the time Supergrass come on with Caught by the Fuzz. You will no longer be in control of your legs, they may thrust you around the room in your brains response to the music.
I’m not overly, ok not at all, a fan of bands who parade around their swollen egos, so when Kaiser Chief’s Ricky Wilson, opened with “We are the world famous Kaiser Cheifs!” I nearly switched off there and then; however the song Everyday I love you Less and Less would have to be one of my favourites, so I was interested to see how they pull it off live. Well I guess an inflated ego is almost due, because this song is a stand out track (if you skip the first 16 seconds) on the album.
Who can resist a little Lily Allen action every now and then? She is good for the soul, and her voice in a stripped back forum is amazing for all kinds of remedies.
Capping of the CD with Jose Gonzalez’s, Teardrop is the perfect mood setting device for a peaceful night’s sleep.
It doesn’t end their though...it’s a double shot of good times with the DVD a sassy collection of our favourites and their big numbers.
I have been fortunate enough to see The Grates live in concert, so watching Patience bound around on stage and share the vocal mic with Alana, bought all the delightful feelings rushing back, as they belted out 19-20-20 for their massive audience.
Hilltop Hoods, need I say more? They translate everywhere, my dodgey dashboard speakers, laptop speakers and television speakers. You will be treated to the visual delight of the guys bouncing off each other as well as the tantalising sound sensation of Clown Prince. This isn’t actually my favourite Hoods song, but after seeing it performed, even on DVD, its definitely up there.
The Presets posing the question are you the one? God I hope so! The haunting voice of Julian coupled with chilling keyboard tones and Kim so tight on his drumming, then throw in a entire room of fans rising and falling in sync with it every pulse of music and you have the giddy feeling in your stomach, forcing the feet to dance along and the arms to pump repeatedly
“So we wrote this song about a heart attack....beep beep, beep, beep, beep” Come on you know it by now, are you singing it? “I’m going away to be alone, I’m coming back with answers...” Faker have marked their place in Australian music and they aren’t budging, if they have to play that one song over and over again, so be it! If you are sick of commercial radio stations flogging it to death, stick this number in, and go back to where it all began, with triple J and a huge live crowd following.
Bernard Fanning, has proved his worth as a solo artist, and we kinda liked him for it. Take him back with his Powderfinger boys and we love him again. Performing their now classic (Baby I’ve got you) On My Mind, you may just need to sit down again, to avoid the weak knees syndrome.
Finally the finale of the CD/DVD compilation is The Cat Empire’s The Chariot, then energy and vibe of this gig, makes you a little disappointed if you missed it.
Overall I’d give the CD about a 6.5 out of 10. The DVD is a bit different story, because the environment in which its played greatly effects the rating of it, so on its own its about a 8.5 out of 10. In the right setting though, and easy 10 out of 10.
