Temper Trap

Full, uncut interview with Joseph Greer from the Temper Trap.

I know a lot of very excited people who are heading down to the Pyramid Rock Festival this New Years Eve purely to see the Temper Trap. Have you been to the festival before?
No I haven’t actually. I think it is going to be quite good. I am intrigued. It’s cool to go down to Phillip Island as well- its good to go places you haven’t been, so I am looking forward to that.

Back in the day, when you were in Melbourne, how did you spend New Years Eve?
The last new years before we left for London we actually played at The Espy. It was the 4am in the morning slot, so we sort of had New Years standing back stage at the Espy listening to Spider Bait. (laughs)

Of the Pyramid lineup, is there anyone that you haven’t seen before that your looking forward to checking out?
I’m looking forward to checking out N.E.R.D I think. I’m excited. I’ve never seen them and I think it will be a fun show.

Is there anything special that we can look forward to for Pyramid Rock?
Well we have been trying out a couple of new songs that we have been writing and touring all over the place, so you know, we will definitely put them into the set I think. Hopefully they go down well.

After the awards, hype, national and international tours, country relocation, festivals and shows, what can we expect next from the Temper Trap?
It’s been a crazy couple of years. We have been touring all over and like you said we’ve relocated. We’ve got the Pyramid Rock show, and then we have one more show in Singapore for Laneway before we all meet back in London in early February and um, have a go at trying to write another album. That’s the only plan on the horizon. We want to try and make a really good album to follow up Conditions. Hopefully we will have something out by the end of next year, but we need to be really happy with what we have made. Hopefully that happens sooner rather than later, but you can’t really tell what is going to happen during the process.

How much have you written for the new album?
We have written a couple of new songs like I said before, whether or not they’ll be on the new album, I’m unsure. We don’t really have a body of music to reference against. You need to have something that works coherently together and yeah, its hard to say. I’d like to think so. The songs that we’ve made are quite different; they would be good to have on the album. But again I think it’s a matter of seeing what else we come up with and seeing how they work against some other songs.

These new songs though, you will be playing at the Pyramid Rock Festival is that right?
Yes the new songs, we will play at pyramid for sure.

So will you sort of gauge the audiences reaction and think about putting the new songs on the record?
Well, we sort of have been. We have this one song that’s 7 minutes long. It’s quite a departure from what we have been doing and we have been playing it. I think most people are a little bit shocked. Everyone sort of claps, but its one of those things that’s hard because everyone’s heard Conditions that are coming to the shows and everyone is sort of going crazy for those songs, its hard to say. You know, are they just clapping because that’s what you do? Or is it genuine?

Yes, like, ‘That’s not the Temper Trap we came to see!’
(Laughs.) Exactly, but we are really happy with what we have been doing. It doesn’t really matter if it doesn’t end up on the album. We’ve just had such little amount of time to write stuff, so we have just done what we can.

What’s been the inspiration for some of the new songs?
This time it’s been a little bit darker. I don’t think there has been any reason why there is that kind of sound. When we were in the studio sitting down, we just kind of had this darker sound come up and it’s just what we went with. It developed in that way with that intense feel. Whether or not that’s what we go for it’s just hard to tell.

Its very early days I suppose.
Yes that’s right. It’s always different. We need to come up with something that works as a whole. I don’t know what has inspired that sound on the songs that we’ve done, but I think once touring has come to an end, real development will happen.

You worked with Producer Jim Abiss on Conditions, will you be working with him again on the next album?
I wouldn’t rule it out, but I don’t think so. There has been talk of different producers and it really comes down to the songs as well. You know, once we have a group of songs we can then imagine what kind of producer would really suit the music. Not to say that Jim wasn’t good, it’s just we would like to see what we can come up with and who would be the best to suit to that sound and also who is available and that kind of thing.

Coming off the back of critically acclaimed Conditions, do you feel the pressure to meet and exceed expectations for the next album?
I think it’s one of those things, you can think about it too much and obviously we have been very successful and been very lucky to have the success that we have with Conditions and we would really like for that to keep going. I guess if you really think about it and worry about it, it becomes an issue. I mean, we all know we need to be aware that there is an expectation. But I think it’s a little bit unhealthy to focus on it too much because we really need to focus on an album that we really like. I think the mood in the band is that of optimism and not really thinking about the pressure. It’s there but we choose not to let it weight us down.

Personally Joeseph, if you were to write this record the way you would like it written and have it sound how you would want it to sound, where would you see this record go?
(Thoughtful.) Hmmm, interesting question. Well… (silence) I would really like to make an album that sounds amazing and has a lot of focus on everything recorded really well, something that could really take us to the next level. I’d really like to be in a band that, you know, is at that next level. Hopefully we can do that. I don’t think we are going to go for the extremely commercial approach but we just want to make really good music that is still accessible to people, without being too overly poppy or anything like that. So that’s where I’d like to see it go, an album that really appeals to people that can cross over a lot of different age groups and that sort of thing.

Joseph your sounding a bit tired and weary at the moment. If you could write a song now about anything you would like, what would it be? Maybe about how tired you are, or recent life events?
(Laughs) I’m feeling pretty good at the moment. I’m just chilling out in Melbourne; I’ve got a couple of days off here, so I am in pretty good spirits. I think if I were to go and write a song now id probably try and write something bright. Unlike when I am on the tour bus and we have been on tour for seven weeks, maybe that’s where we have come up with some of the darker stuff. (Laughs)

Now Joesph, how are you going to be spending Christmas this year?
I’m going to be in Melbourne, I think most of the boys are going to be in Melbourne actually. I think they might go to Bali, but I am pretty sure we are all going to be back here for Christmas, we have got Pyramid a few days after and everyone’s family is here and I am looking forward to it.

Do you do the whole, Pork or Turkey lunch with horrible hats and jokes?
Well, its hard for me because I moved over to Melbourne from New Zealand when I was 19 so my family were still in New Zealand then. I kind of just tagged along to a really untraditional lunch with friends. This year again, it’s probably going to be the same. I’m not too sure, nothing too traditional. But it might be nice, maybe one of the boys will invite me over to lunch with their family, put the hats on…

Yes sing some carols…
Yea sure.

Now the ARIAS, what are your feelings towards the ARIAS?
We were all over the moon to win two. It’s amazing; we were nominated last time and didn’t win anything, so we were a little disappointed. It was great to win two this year.

As for the award ceremony itself, do you think it was a complete mess?
See, we weren’t there. I have heard reports that things weren’t great, but I don’t want to speculate because I wasn’t there myself. You know, people have said that it was good and people have said that it wasn’t good. I’ve heard that people didn’t like the venue, whether or not they are going to change it next year we are going to have to wait and see, but again, I wasn’t there, I can only go by what other people are saying.

Do you still think that it’s relevant to win an ARIA? Like obviously you said your over the moon, how much weight does it hold to win an ARIA?
I think it’s still pretty special. You always see bands winning, it’s like a milestone I guess for Australian bands to reach. Whether or not it’s lost any of its prestige I couldn’t really say, I don’t feel like it has. I think it’s an honor to win anything especially relating to your music. I think it’s still just as good as it’s ever been.

Well, as you have said, you have heard reports good and bad, how would you see the ARIA awards run next year? Would there be any tips, from what you have heard that you could throw in there?
From what I have heard I think people were a little upset just from the layout and it being at the Opera House and not being able to see anything. The year before it was more like a stadium setting and that seemed to work quite fine, with the tables around the outside and I thought that was fine like that. So I guess, (laughs) not that my opinion probably matters to the people organizing it, but I think that probably might make it a little bit better. I think people felt uninvolved and didn’t really know what was going on.


Okay just to finish off with, I am just going to say a couple of words, and I just want you to tell me the first thought that comes into your mind.
Okay…


Wesley Collage - Toby and Lorenzo – that’s two. But I had to say both names because they both went there.
London- Never there.
Camden – NME KOKO club night, that was our first show in London when we moved over.
Melbourne - Inspiration.
Fame – Not being on a tour bus.
Rock Star Life – Overratted.
Women – Not many around.
Success – Fantastic.


Fantastic, thanks so much for your time today Joseph.

(Laughs.) Thank you. I hope I gave you the right answers.

(Laughs) There were no wrong answers. They were great. Have a great Christmas and I look forward to catching you at Pyramid Rock.

Thank you.

Sally Seltmann - A little bit whimsical, a little bit bohemian and a bit little sporty.

“Oh it’s embarrassing,” giggled Sally Seltmann, before admitting that as a young girl that she actually wanted to be a Physical Education teacher and then move into advertising. Which is a far cry from the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Award winning singer/songwriter that she is today. “I didn’t think that I’d be this. Music was always such a part of my life that I took it for granted. I didn’t really see that I would follow it as something to try and make a job out of.”

But make a job out of it she did, having released records The Last Beautiful Day and Somewhere Anywhere, as New Buffalo. Her latest release titled A Heart that’s Pounding, is the first that first with her name Sally Seltmann. “It was my label - Arts and Crafts, in North America that asked me if I’d ever considered being Sally Seltmann and I had thought about it as I found it really annoying having to explain to people that New Buffalo was a solo project and not a band,” she laughed.

Since her third record release, Heart that’s Pounding, Seltmann has moved from Melbourne back to her hometown of Sydney. Initially she had moved to Melbourne because she had fallen in love with her husband, Darren Seltmann (of the Avalanches.) “I do believe in true love and I believe you can make the best life possible for yourself, not focussing on how crap everything is. I used to find it very hard to make decisions in life. But when I met my husband, everything seemed very clear to me. I gave up Sydney because I believed so much in the love,” says Seltmann. “I very much go with my feelings. It’s nice to be able to put a poetic milk on life.” Though Seltmann did say that she viewed life more romantically when she was a little younger, where she would think along the lines of, “the door was locked and I’ve lost my key, its got to mean something” and she would come up with “all these reasons” of what it could mean.

Melbourne may be the culture capital of Australia, but Seltmann says that Sydney, is the prettiest city in the world, even more so that Paris. “I love the harbour, the beaches and the landscape. I love all the sandstone and my family live there too, that makes me a little bit biased,” she said. In contrast Seltmann says Sydney is very different to Melbourne. “People in Melbourne seem to dress a bit better and it’s a bit more stylish. There are a lot more bars and places with beautiful interiors, like cafes. Sydney is a lot more outdoorsy and way sunnier, you feel more like meeting people in a park in the sunshine rather than hanging out in dark clubs.”

“Id love it if people described me as bohemian, though I think I’m a bit too uptight,” Seltmann said, though if she had met herself out at a party and had to describe herself to someone else she would describe herself as “giggly and funny.” I suggested ‘whimsical.’ “Yes and no,” she said and I can vision the Heart that’s Pounding cover with the photo of her with her head tilted slightly to the side. “I wouldn’t describe myself as that, but my music comes across as that I guess.”

Above: Cover of Heart that's Pounding.

Despite its whimsical sound, Seltmann’s music only partly reflects her life. “My music is very feminine, and very emotional, and my life is also very emotional… but I’m a bit more sporty. I have a slight tomboyish side that I don’t think comes across in my music,” she says, having played Basketball, Soccer, Netball, Water Polo, Softball and Swimming. “I liked Basketball a lot better because it was more physical. I remember at school I would play basketball in the summer and in the winter I would play soccer.” Seltmann also can surf, play drums, likes running and told me proudly that she was the school champion at swimming.

But don’t the athletic talk fool you. Seltmann is a treasure hunter, as a keen vintage and opportunity shopper. She told me excitedly that her best buy has been a cream, silk, skirt from an Opp Shop on Smith Street in Melbourne and on another occasion she bought a pair of men’s Prada shoes. Savers is one of her favoured haunts, “there is one in Footscray, it’s massive and it’s amazing. They categorise all the clothes in size. So you go in there and everything is very organised. I love how long it takes to go opp shopping too, but it’s great as you can quickly find what you want in your size.” Though she also favours places in Toorak, “I love the Opp Shops in posh suburbs where there are amazing women who work there and you get all designer clothes.”

Heart that’s Pounding was written to be much more uplifting and collaborative than the last two records by Seltman. “I made each album as a reaction to the previous album that I had made. So the previous New Buffalo album was made, by myself, in a shed, with a piano and it was a very, solitary experience.”

For Heart That’s Pounding, Seltmann had about 16 songs to choose from. “I wrote some a few years ago, but I had a bit of a burst in song writing where I wrote about five of them over a few months.” She said. Seltman also worked closely with Melbourne based producer Francious Tetaz, “we kind of just sifted through the songs. Sometimes you can have too much of one style of song on the album, so we just picked a few.”

Ultimately what got Seltmann to where she is today is the ability to focus and follow her heart. Although she credits Francious Tetaz, for his input, “He is funny. We kind of share a similarity in terms of how we love to analyse people’s relationships. He’s got a lot of energy and for me, working with him, he’s just kept me n the right mood and right frame of mind. He is quite a jolly person.”

“What is right for one person, could be completely wrong for someone else,” said Seltmann when I asked about what advise she would give about love, life and the universe. But what she did say was, “I know of a few people who are talented and incredibly gifted when it comes to the arts, but then you’ve also got to have that side to your personality where you crave and your driven and work on the same sort of things.” Seltmann studied Fine Art at The College of Fine Arts in Sydney and greatly enjoyed photography, but in the end, she had to make a tough decision. “A lot of creative people have a million ideas and don’t hone in on one thing… in the end I decided to focus on just the music.”

Comment below and let others know where your secret Opportunity or Vintage store is, and what your best buy has been?

A Review - The Audreys, supported by Tracey Mc Neal and Nicolas Roy

There was room to swing a buffalo, as Tracey Mc Neal opened the evening for The Audreys this past Friday night at The Corner. She sat along side Matt Green on electric guitar and dobro, as the pair performed sparsely dispersed 35 – 50 people.

It was clear from early on that a fine vintage audience would be attending as silver flecks were lit up on the heads of many who stood in intimate pairs or small groups and chatted loudly to the slow backing tracks of Mc Neal.

Nicholas Roy and Adam ‘the smiley faced drummer’ Coad were the next support up. Their energy was a pleasant escalation, as the pair visibly enjoyed themselves as they performed songs with energy and enthusiasm, including Taxi, Walls and a song currently being played at Triple J called It’s all my fault. Noteworthy was a song written about Nicholas’ late grandmother. A quarter of the way through, there were some technical difficulties and Roy’s keyboard stopped working. In a gutsy display, a slightly startled Roy sung the remainder of the song a cappella to a silent room, showcasing his stunning voice. Although not planned, the incident inspired a witty segue into the next song titled, Before the world collapses. “Locusts, Floods and now my keyboard is the third thing,” joked Roy as people steadily steamed in throughout the set and stook their place with eyes on Roy. By the end of the set, The Corner - although not sold out, was suitably full and ready for the headliner, The Audreys.

An ultra sexy Taasha Coats walked out in stage following the rest of the band and opened the set with the goose bump raising Oh honey, and the audience were reminded why they had left the comfort of their homes that evening.

“The rest of the band are very ‘folk’ but Taasha, she is just something else, she is just something else,” said a sobriety challenged mother of three standing next to me and she trailed off getting lost in the sight of Taasha. With her subtly rotating hips, her magical gypsy hands and hauntingly beautiful voice, she had enough sex appeal to almost turn the poor mother. Though Tristen Goodall's roving guitar and applaud worthy solos, and indeed the input of the rest of the band also did not fail to smiles on the faces of all in the room.

“We have been looking forward to this. This is the first time we have played in Melbourne, when we have all lived in Melbourne, I’m getting a taxi home tonight!” an excited Coats remarked in between songs.

The night saw a great many instruments played, including the drums, bass and electric guitar, the doboro and the banjo, but also the spoons, the ukulele, harmonica, keyboard, accordion, tambourins and the melodica. The latter is that strange instrument that is blown, yet has keys like a keyboard and produces a polyphonic sound. An instrument that Coats is clearly quite fond of as took the time to explain those unawae in he crowd.

The band pushed their way through songs like Small things, Chelsea Blues,and You and Steve Mc Queen. Yet the highlight of the evening occurred towards the close of the gig, when Nicolas Roy was invited back to the stage for a remarkable cover of INXS’ Don’t Change.

Jordan Pundik – A love of food, a new baby and A New Found Glory.

A New Found Glory (NFG) will be back to Australia for the umpteenth time to play at Soundwave early next year. Their presence here is as regular as Merv Hughes, as the band has toured down under for every album since their virginal appearance in 2002 as part of Warped Tour. NFG will be sharing the stage with greats of the rock music industry like Iron Maiden, Slayer and Bullet for my Valentine, but front man and lead singer Jordan Pundik has an unfazed view about the clichéd, hyped theatrics. He says, “I guess we fit into the music industry as we are a band, but personally I never try and get into that kind of thing. I’m more the guy who’s like, ‘tell me where and when I’ve got to play and let me rock the fuck out.’”

Above: Jordan Pundik from A New Found Glory.

Before the first waves of sound crash in Brisbane on the 25^th of February, the world must endure two large happenings. The first is the invasion of Oprah and her 450 minions for Oprah’s Goodbye Show and the second is the annual advent of Christmas. Pundik has friends in nearly every city of Australia and says that he often hangs out with his Melbourne friends after Australian tours for a few days just to chill out. Being a man who has seen more of this sunburnt country than many who bear the inked southern cross on their skin, it was interesting to find out what Pundik would recommend that Oprah see or do when she was here. “I haven’t met her,” Pundik laughs. “ But, I want Oprah to come to Soundwave. Her and I can hang out, we can dance to Gang of Four and talk about Obama.” The flashed image of Oprah donning a black Slayer Tee and a pair of skinnies in the middle of a tattooed Soundwave crowd is terribly frightening, as Pundik finishes his indulgent laughing.

Be it the Southern Cross, pin up girl or otherwise, tattoos aren’t like they used to be, according to Pundik. “Everywhere you look there are tattoos. You go into a mall and they’re selling these nylon sleeves for kids with tattoo patterns all over them. I feel like it’s a part of our society now,” says Pundik who got his primary tattoo young after his first tour. His band along with Vacant Andies, the first band of Christ Carrabba, now in Dashboard Confessional, had rented a truck and illegally took it out of the state and played at pool parties “in front of like, two people.” At the end of the tour, when they bought the truck back to Florida, they saw the tattoo shop. “At the time I was 17 years old, and I wasn’t even allowed to get tattoos yet,” he admitted. “But the guy did it anyway. It’s a bit corny. It’s this star and it has Chinese lettering in it, saying ‘friendship.’” Laughed the now 30-year-old, whose tattoos have featured in magazines such as ‘Inked’ and ‘Tattoo Magazine.’ “We don’t even know if the lettering really says ‘friendship,’ it could say fucking ‘fried shrimp,’ for all we know.” None the less the tattoo symbolises a long running friendship between Dashboard Confessional and A New Found Glory.

Above: Jordan Pundiks, right arm sleeve.

The second event the world must endure is the annual advent of Christmas. Pundik will be spending Christmas close to home this year. “Ill be at home but we will be driving all up and down the coast of California because my wife’s family is really huge. One side lives three hours north and one side lives two hours south. So we have to drive all over the place and constantly eat and eat and eat. Her dad’s side usually have a ham, or a turkey or a huge spread for Christmas. But her mums side of the family does the whole Mexican thing so we will have enchiladas and tacos and you just get hammered on margaritas its actually kind of fun,” he enthuses. The occasion will be even more special this year as it is Van Phillip Pundik’s first Christmas, Pundik’s son who was born just over a month ago on October 6^th. “He’s actually a really chilled baby which is awesome as my mom always told me I was a really chilled baby. He likes to eat a lot, just like his dad and he likes to sleep a lot, just like his dad. I’m stoked,” enthuses Pundik who looks forward to taking him surfing and teaching him about, ‘all the things that are cool.’ “As cliché as it sounds, it really is one of the most insane things to ever happen,” says Pundik.

Pundik has been around great food his whole life and has become a self-professed good cook. “My brother is the sous chef at a really well known restaurant. He’s younger than me, but I have kind of learned from him,” he says. “We’ve been really into making things for holidays now, as we have so many people that we know. We like making food things, so last year we made a pesto food sauce. We put them in these really cool jars and put really cool labels on them that I drew up,” he enthuses, also stating that they looked quite professional just like the ones from an up market food store. “Some people may think that sucks, ‘I don’t want pesto, I want a fucking gameboy.’ But you know what? Fuck them. I like making stuff!” He declares proudly. However there does come a time, when the food loving Pundik can’t eat as much as he would like. “I have a really good friend who is from Melbourne actually. His family visited last year and they did this huge Australian style barbeque for Christmas. They grilled everything. There was so much food I can’t even tell you. He had a huge steak or a huge piece of lamb for each individual person. It wasn’t ‘take what you want to eat,’ it was ‘you get everything,’” he states matter-of-factly in refection.

Above: A New Found Glory

Pundik is a food lover, new father, and rockstar. “I feel that people hold us highly just because we are in a band. If someone got to know one of us, they would realise that we’re just normal dudes, that are kind of boring,” he says. Also admitting that at times, he must remind himself to remain grounded. There is one boy in particular that helps bring him back to earth. The boy had come up to the band at the peak of an extremely long tour. Pundik says, “His brother had died and he had gone through a series of really bad events over the last year. He told me that without the music, he would have done some bad things to himself. I always think of that, whether we are playing a huge tour, or whether a record sells, I try to always remember why we do it… I feel like what I do really makes a difference.” He states proudly. With that knowledge, after extravagant talk of food and jokes of Oprah, it is hard to think of Jordan Pundik, lead singer of A New Found Glory once again as, ‘just a normal dude.’

A REVIEW – Lior, supported by Tom Kline and Gossling

Upon entering The Corner Hotel in Richmond this past Saturday night, one could be forgiven for thinking that they had been washed into a library on the sacred grounds of a mute nunnery, as Tom Kline opened the evening for Lior.

Pulling Away was performed first and Kline had the audience from the first note. His beautifully haunting sound resonated, leaving the audience stunned, silenced and unsure what to expect next from the singer, songwriter and muli-instrumentalist.

It is hard not to gush over Kline as a reviewer and in future I will need to learn to be more critical, because Kline has raised the bar. Rarely is such talent portrayed in a support act and it is fair to say that generally at shows, people chatter amongst themselves, order drinks without care and glance up every now and again at supports, but not with Kline. Few dared to turn even to kiss their loved one on the cheek, fewer dared to order a drink and those that did, did so in hushed, guilty whispers.

The Cure was a particularly noteworthy, among other songs played like My Stage, Silence is Golden and Apparition. Unbelievable it is that this bombshell is not (yet) a big time crooner, but a country bumpkin from Milawa, northeast Victoria. “Tonight I have business cards in lieu of a record,” he joked, although he is currently working with Producer Francois Tetaz (Architecture in Helsinki Lior, Goyte) on his debut album which will be released in the not too distant future. But for now, he is doing his time in Melbourne’s Pubs, Bars and Venues.

That was not the last time we would see Tom Kline that night, who looked a prettier version of Kurt Cobain, in his oversized white Tee, with mousy shoulder length blonde hair and pretty eyes. Kline should change his name to Jack, because like a Jack-in-the-box, he kept popping up throughout the evening, as back up vocalist for both the next support act, Gossling, and the headliner, Lior.

Above: Lior.

Young, pretty and cute as a button was 27-year-old Gossling, (Helen Croome,) who was up next. She performed a duet with Cello player, Anita Quayle, who is a member of Gossling’s band, although she often performs solo as well as with her full band, at venues such as The Espy, The Empress, Veludo, and the Northcote Social Club.

She had audiences laughing along with her as she chattered away about bush turkies and did an impersonation of how her mother would sound, if Gossling had photos taken with her hair in her eyes. “Can you make sure my hair is off my face, or my mum will kill me,” she requested of Faster Louder photographer, Anna Kanci, in a husky voice that can be likened to that of Julia Stone.

Country air must do it to these people, as Gossling is also a country soul, being born in Tasmania and growing up Albury/Wodonga. Songs played included Hazard, Days are Over and He knows my Love.

Notable was Days Are Over, which Triple J started playing about a year ago off her last EP. “People thought it was Sarah Blasco or Lisa Mitchell, but it wasn’t… It was me.” She said, leaving the audience laughing.

In a post show interview Gossling admitted to being nervous and said it was a good thing “If I don't get nervous I play badly. I need the adrenaline running through my veins to perform well.” Which would be my only criticism, as at one point I felt for her as she was visibly nervous, touching her hair and face and fiddling with her dress. But the rest of the audience didn’t seem to notice, too engrossed in her music and laughed away with her between song chatter.

Gossling has the ability to be the girl that everyone knows. She’s daggy like your sister, gorgeous like your best friend and has that innocence of the girl you went to primary school with, yet have not seen for years. “It was my dream to play at the corner…and now I’m playing at the corner.” She said, once again making the audience laugh in an intimate performance.

Gossling’s last song saw Tom “Jack-in-the-box” Kline back on stage to sing backing vocals. The Only Way, was performed which is off Gossling’s new Ep which will be released on November 5th, and was a beautiful way to end her set, as fellow audience members agreed, her performance improved as it went on, perhaps initially slightly quelled by nerves.

Above: Tom Kline, Anita Quayle and Gossling.

Lior causally walked on stage, guitar in hand and his eyes sparkled as he shone a smile to fans. After the first song, Lior recalled his first gig in Melbourne at Bar One. The show was just after he released his first album, where he played to “an empty room of diehard fans,” about 12 of them who knew all they lyrics, a far cry from the sold out Corner.

Lior and the band, consisting of Cameron Deyell on electric guitar, Jonathan "Sparkles" Zion on keyboard, backup vocals and percussion, Brett Hirst on Bass and Michael Iveson on Drums, with Tom Kline who popped up again on backing vocals, mostly played songs from newest record release, Tumbling into the Dawn.

Noteworthy of the set was, This Old Love, which was dedicated to Jane and Neil, parents of a friend of Lior’s. “They were high school sweethearts who found each other late in life,” Lior read quirkily from a text message, “who are finally getting married and will be walking down the aisle to This Old Love,” a segway that fans swooned over.

I’ll forget you in time, was also commendable. The previous night the band played a show in Hepburn Springs, where Lior reached out to the audience for someone to fill the harmony part of Sia. Juli Robinsom, was the brave lady to put up her hand, she had apparently done such a great job and it just so happened that she would also be at the Melbourne show, so Lior invited her back to the stage. After a slight time lag, between invitation and actually clambering up on stage, Liors’ face relaxed after showing slight anxiety thinking that “perhaps she had chickened out.” She sang her part and left the audience humbled and jealous. Lior said in a post show interview that Juli was grateful for the experience and was inundated with people congratulating her and wanting to by her drinks.

Above: Lior with Juli Robinsom.

The show greatly incorporated each member of the band with light-hearted banter, laughter filled segways, and anecdotes from Liors recent life. Lior also made reference quite often to his support acts, which meant that the evening was nicely woven together, and balanced.

‘Sparkles’ sat at his keyboard and often giggled at Lior, Cameron Deyell played memorable guitar solos, not bad for a left hander whose dad told him to preserver with his right hand as a child, now playing along side Lior. (Admittedly concentrating so hard, I thought he was going to bite his tongue off.) Drummer Michael Iveson orchestrated the band, with eyes that spoke a thousand words, mostly saying “Are you ready?” And bassist Brett Hirst was confident and cool, while Tom sung back up vocals from the back of the stage, beer in hand.

After the show, Lior met fans and signed merchandise for a long line of fans, as Tom Kline and Gossling mingled and chatted to fans and friends. The band were also accessible, as they packed up their ammunition. It was an intimate show, the only down point of the evening, which is actually an up point is that the Corner was almost at full capacity from when Tom Kline came on stage, which meant that the Corner was crowded the whole evening rather than gradually increasing, making it a little uncomfortable for a longer period of time, rather than just a set.

The above photography is the work of Faster Louder shooter, Anna Kanci.

Below you can view the myspace pages of Tom, Gosling and Lior.

Tom Kline - http://www.myspace.com/tomklinemusic/music/songs/the-cure-69266186

Gossling - http://www.myspace.com/gosslingmusic

Lior - http://www.myspace.com/lior

Interview with the Lovely Lior

A Nervous Miss Drew spoke with Lior not even an hour ago, with reflection on his sold out gig at The Corner Hotel in Richmond this past Saturday night.

As in the interview, Lior has put a call out to the designer who made the shirt he wore. Above in currently the best photo that we have. If anyone knows, please give us at Jaded Reverb a shout and we will get in contact with Lior to let him know.

To hear the interview, please follow the link below.

http://www.box.net/shared/1o6zzev77l