Lev Lafayette

The War of the Worlds: The Book, The Drama, The Musical, the Film

14 August, 202014 August, 2020 Film, Record, Writing 1

Is it not the most appropriate time to consider the great disaster story The War of the Worlds, as a pandemic continues to sweep the globe, with no end in sight?

Art Damage through Self-Referentialty

30 July, 202030 July, 2020 Opinion, Rocknerd 0

In the early 90s I was introduced to the notion of “art damage”, appearing as an editorial rant in the glorious glossy cyberpunk magazine, Mondo 2000, now sadly forgotten by most.

Mark Burgess: View From A Hill (2007).

23 April, 20202 May, 2020 Writing 0

Sitting on my “to do” list since 2011, and already at that stage four years old, View from a Hill provides the autobiography of Mark Burgess, frontman of The Chameleons and associated acts.

65daysofstatic: replicr (2019).

13 April, 202013 April, 2020 Prog, Record 1

Dark and morose, ambient and industrial, with occasional contrasts, replicr is an album for particular moods.

Grum: Deep State (2019).

5 February, 20209 April, 2020 Dance, Record 0

Experientially and holistically, this is a thoroughly enjoyable piece of work of which Grum can be pretty proud of.

Valedictions, Andy Gill

2 February, 20202 February, 2020 Post-Punk 1

Elder statesman, co-founder, and guitarist and vocalist of post-punk legends Gang of Four, Andy Gill, died on 1 February, aged 64.

We Lost The Sea, Howler Bar, Melbourne, 30 November 2019.

2 December, 20192 December, 2019 Live, Metal, Prog 0

The Howler Bar in Brunswick initially looks like a large open-plan bar but has an enclosed back-room which is just the right size for bands with a moderate following, and a brilliant second bar which provides a windowed view to the stage.

We Lost The Sea: Triumph & Disaster (2019).

2 December, 20192 December, 2019 Metal, Prog, Record 0

The band started off pretty firmly in the metal genre, but transmogrified into something that is a cross between math rock and metal, like a love-child of 65daysofstatic and Dream Theater.

Gang of Four, Croxton Bandroom, November 2019

10 November, 20198 December, 2020 Live, Post-Punk 0

After being a music reviewer for over 30 years, and being a Gang of Four fan for a similar period, it is about time I owned an electric guitar.

So I picked up Andy Gill’s from the Gang of Four concert last night.

Tears for Fears, Rule The World: Greatest Hits (2017)

9 September, 20199 September, 2019 Pop, Record 0

This eighteen-month late review of Tears for Fears latest compilation, released in November 2017, absolutely has to be done, for reasons of aesthetic duty if nothing else.

The Cure, Disintegration 30 Years Anniversary, Sydney Opera House, May 2019

9 September, 20199 September, 2019 Live, Pop, Post-Punk 0

Disintegration’s popularity is absolutely deserving of a 30th anniversary and real credit is given to the band for having the courage and principle to have the entire show live-streamed and added to YouTube.

Underworld, June 1st, 2019 Sydney Opera House

9 September, 20199 September, 2019 Dance, Live 0

Possibly one of the most iconic progressive house bands of the 1990s, Underworld’s appearance at Sydney’s Vivid light and sound festival was exceptionally appropriate.

Gary Numan: Savage (Songs from A Broken World) (2017).

7 January, 20198 January, 2019 Goth, Industrial, Post-Punk, Record 1

For those most familiar with the classic synth-pop Gary Numan, this will be quite different. For those who have followed Numan in the past thirty years this is not a surprise.

The The, October 5 2018, Melbourne

1 January, 20191 January, 2019 Live, Post-Punk 0

A long concert, though more amiable than epic.

Blue Man Group, 20 July 2018, Berlin.

6 October, 20188 October, 2018 Live 0

The BMG themselves in this particular incarnation are Martin Marion, Kuba Piezchalksia, and Stefan Ruh, supported by the band of Jan Burkamp, Tim Neuhaus, and Nils Westermann.

The Chameleons, Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 2018-01-12

1 February, 20181 February, 2018 Live, Post-Punk 0

It was a good-sized crowd on the night with a surprising and pleasingly diverse audience, ranging from young post-punk revivalists who were born around the start of this century to those elder folk who had been there from the original days, now more than thirty-five years in the past.

Snog and Severed Heads — Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 5 November 2017

16 January, 201816 May, 2019 Industrial, Live 0

Severed Heads, Snog, frogs and Ikea rats.

Hans Zimmer, Benajmin Wallfisch: Blade Runner 2049 Soundtrack (2017).

7 November, 20177 November, 2017 Film, Record 0

The soundtrack is deserving of a short review in its own right, not the least for its own curious development.

Those Crazy Socialist Juggalos

5 November, 20175 November, 2017 Opinion 0

On the most unexpected political alliance of the year: the Juggalo youth subculture and organised socialism.

Peter Hook & The Light — The Corner, Melbourne, Sat 14 Oct 2017.

22 October, 201722 October, 2017 Live, Post-Punk 0

The last of a series of concerts, this one performing Unknown Pleasures and Closer.

The Residents, Croxton Hotel, March 2016

15 September, 201715 September, 2017 Esoterica, Live 0

Certain bands make an initial mark on the world with icons.

Mogwai: Central Belters (2015).

31 December, 201629 March, 2017 Prog, Record 0

As the year comes to an end there is the realisation that a half-complete text file has been languishing for a triple compilation released in October 2015. What a difference a day makes to being “somewhat late” to being “so old it’s a retrospective”.

65daysofstatic, Barcelona, October 24, 2016

1 November, 201629 March, 2017 Live, Prog 0

It was pure serendipity that I found myself on the other side of the planet from my usual home at the same time that 65daysofstatic graced Barcelona to promote their new soundtrack album, No Man’s Sky. The venue, Razzmatazz, has a good reputation and deservedly so. It’s rough and ready, but sensibly designed allowing for generous audio and viewing spaces, good ventilation, and even reasonable drink prices.

65daysofstatic: No Man’s Sky (2016).

15 July, 201631 March, 2017 Games, Prog, Record 0

Averaging one studio album every three years, the classic math rockers, 65daysofstatic are right on time with their latest release, the official soundtrack to the video game No Man’s Sky.

New Order: Music Complete (2016).

17 June, 201625 August, 2016 Post-Punk, Record 1

At almost sixty-five minutes, New Order’s tenth studio album Music Complete. On vinyl it is provided as an impressive heavy-grade double album with an abstract cover design by Peter Saville, which reminds one of True Colours by Split Enz or a 1980s L’Oreal advertisement. With no sense of embarrassment, the album also includes a twelve page booklet of blank pages and uncoloured designs. This ill-considered use of the planet’s declining arboreal biomass can possibly amuse children for a couple of hours as they provide a more interesting expression of colours. As is the fashion with albums these days a digital download code is also provided.

New Order and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Opera House, June 4, 2016

10 June, 20161 January, 2017 Classical, Live, Post-Punk 0

The concert hall of the Sydney Opera House is, of course, one of the world’s great venues. Filled to capacity of over two-and-half thousand the audience were displaying an enthusiasm that would continue throughout the night. Although older on average, there was a fair sprinkling of younger faces indicating that the reputation of one of the world’s great electronic and synth-pop bands was still continuing.

Shriekback: Without Real String or Fish (2015).

23 April, 201625 August, 2016 Post-Punk, Record 0

For a band formed in 1981, Shriekback have certainly had a couple of notable breaks in their productive career.

Jesus and Mary Chain “Psychocandy” 30th Anniversary

29 March, 201625 August, 2016 Goth, Indie, Live 0

It is rather frightening to think that it’s now over thirty years since Psychocandy by The Jesus and Mary Chain graced the airwaves. Well, frightening to people of a certain age such as this reviewer.