Every year Core is delighted to point you in the direction of quality live music for New Year’s Eve. Almost every one of my New Year’s Eves have been seen in with live music of some description and I couldn’t image a more perfect conclusion to 2013. This year you have options coming out the wazoo. Here’s what’s happening:
Mid Youth Crisis, Rise Of The Rat, Stoackades, Join The Amish, Tigers at The Reverence
Something For Kate, Bodyjar, Dallas Crane, Kingswood, The Basics, The Delta Rigs at The Espy
Earthless, The Shrine, King Of The North, Broozer, My Left Boot, Dead China Doll, Hotel City
Wrecking Traders at The Thornbury Theatre
Clowns, Apart From This, Summer Blood at The Old Bar
Also, now seems as good a time as any to boldly announce my musical highlights of 2013 with a solid sense of self-importance. New favourite band of 2013 must surely be Iron Chic who managed to sullenly bully their way into everyone’s most listened lists earlier in the year. Their music requires patience, though. They’re not immediately loveable and in some instances they’re just too dour to handle (though definitely easier to tolerate than Balance and Composure in this regard), but persistence pays off.
Drug Church also may have released one of the albums of the year in the form of the eerily titled Paul Walker album. Their track Donny’s Woods would be the best track of the year if it weren’t pipped at the post by Red City Radio’s Two Notes Shy Of An Octave. As far as straight-up punk rock crackers go, that anthem well and truly took the cake. The Tony Sly tribute album was a highlight this year. There were some astonishing (and deeply, deeply depressing) covers there by some of the genre’s finest.
Speaking of the finest, mainstays The Flatliners, The Bronx and A Wilhelm Scream all cemented their reputations as unstoppable punk rock juggernauts. My live music highlight of the year had to be witnessing them live at Groezrock Festival in Belgium in May and realising that cold weather and an abundance of red wine makes for unforgettable live music experience. When a moshpit becomes a genuine source of body-warmth, you’d be surprised how often you’re inclined to get involved.
Lucy Wilson released one of the year’s best EPs and this January you’ll have plenty of chances to hear it live when she completes a month long residency at The Old Bar. See her on Saturday January 4 with Wil Wagner (who’s hosting a residency of his own at Footscray’s Reverence), Saturday January 11 features Georgia Maq, Saturday January 18 with Force Fieldz and a final Saturday January 25 performance alongside everyone’s favourite Tasmanian Lincoln LeFevre.
Sydney’s Endless Heights will launch their new album New Bloom early next year by performing a bunch of headlining dates. See them play at Melbourne’s Sike Your Mind Festival on Saturday January 11 and Sunday January 12. Grab the new album now via Broken Hive records.
The Annual Boys Of Summer Tour is quickly approaching. This year, Trainwreck will join headliners Blessthefall, Like Moths To Flames and The Colour Morale at the Corner Hotel on Thursday January 16. Glorified and Storm The Sky have secured supports on the all ages date at Arrow On Swanston on Wednesday January 15.
As mentioned above, Wil Wagner will play a solo residency (affectionately referred to as a Revidency) this January over at The Reverence Hotel in Footscray. Guests throughout the month include Ziggy Britten, Guy Treadwell, Lucy Wilson, Tom Lanyon, Jamie Hay, Spencer Scott and Georgia Maq.
The Bennies announced their Knights Forever Tour last week. It’ll be their second national tour in the space of six months. These guys are mental! Melbournites can catch the guys on Push Over and Melbourne Soundwave dates or alternatively head to a headlining show at The Reverence Hotel on Friday February 7. Ballarat crew can go to Karova on Sunday February 2, Warrnambool types can go to The Loft on Saturday February 1 or Coastal sorts can see them at The Barwon Club on Thursday February 6.
Good news! The upcoming Thursday January 2 Future Of The Left show at the Corner Hotel has secured two EXCELLENT support bands in the form of Damn Terran and Blacklevel Embassy. FOTL’s new album How To Stop Your Brain In Accident is one of the best albums of 2013, and this show might be the finest way to welcome in the new year. Tickets are still available.
BY EMILY KELLY
