Our Chill and Grill kicked off this week with DJ Ronan who had a huge collection of original samples and sounds.  There wasn’t much rhythm to his set, it was rather atmospheric and experimental, which i found distracting and probably not the best choice for a opening act.  Tom King played second and had a lovely stage presence,  he chose to insert a few covers into the set which is always a good idea at events such as this, it helps to grab the attention of the audience.  The final band to play was Terrible Lizzard.  I really didn’t enjoy the set..i felt a lack of musical talent left the band with not much to intrigue the audience.  Very ‘poppy’ sounding vocals which seemed to not fit in with the overall genre of the music.   Also the Tame Impala cover that was played at the end of the set was barely recognisable so that was a little disappointing.

Chill and Grill!

DJ Lumibug kicked off this weeks Chill and Grill event in Bowens Lane at RMIT University.  His set was quite ‘lounge’ with a minimalistic approach at times, very percussive at times, I’m not sure if it was the right choice of act for a lunch time gig, it was a bit too relaxing and background style music for this event i feel.   However some interesting sounds and would be very impressive in the right atmosphere i believe.

Next up in the set was Lennox,  a four piece line up- two guitarists, drum and bass, a classic alternative rock line up. The music was quite melancholic.  I really enjoyed the vocals, they seemed to have a very laid-back emotional affect on me.  I think this band could be categorised as ‘stoner’ rock! Occasionally the lead vocalist struggled with pitch with his singing, but for the most past it was cool and i feel it added to style in a alternative way.

The next band up was called BEN.  These guys were super cool!  Nice and heavy, epic and full of original material which reminded me of alternative progressive rock which is coming out of Copenhagen at the moment, very rockin.’  The four piece is from singapore and I’ve recently heard that they are breaking up due to visa expiration which is a shame considering you can see how much work has gone into getting this set together.  I guess all things come to an end.  I love to see instrumental bands, it really allows the audience to interpret the material from an individual viewpoint.

Another successful event!

 

 

 

Beginning this weeks Chill and Grill began with the cute and folky Bloom.  I think Blooms music has a lot of potential for syncing with advertising, very catchy, and summery in feeling.  I felt Blooms solo stuff worked a little better than the collaboration with the guitarist at this stage, but perhaps they are still at an experimental stage.  I felt like certain songs were performed better than others, and its important to maintain a level of consistency with professionalism throughout the entire set.  The lyrics were cool, i especially liked the song ‘I got burnt.’  It reminded me of JJ cale.

The Second band to grace the stage was ‘The Sand Dollars.’  A cool up-beat surfy sounding 4 piece that managed to seduce a few stray cats to dance in front of the stage, to the song ‘Your my number one Fan.’  There were some nice guitar solos throughout the set, which is always thrilling, especially when they don’t go on for too long… Short and sweet, keep it all moving along!  The second song they played was a cover called ‘Soul Man’ from the blues brothers album.  The Sand Dollars did well, and nailed the cover song, well done guys! Good positive energy, confidence, and a decent amount of talent in the band!

Chill and Grill –

David O’conner

David O’conner began the Set this week with a song about ‘Gay rights’ “because the crowd were all eating sausages.”  The chorus of the song was “catch up old man,” insinuating the changing of times and views amongst society, or the lack of.  I found David’s voice to be quite ‘breaky’ and hard to listen to, painful in fact.  I believe that music is for everyone, however some people should keep it in their bedrooms for a little while longer, or maybe until someone other than your mother tells you that ‘your a rock god Johnny boy’… and you need to ‘get out there and show the world who you are.’  No you really don’t…The world needs carpenters, plumbers, politicians and taxi drivers too, they are the true heroes of society, and just because you were born in a first world country, doesn’t mean you were born with talent.  Anyway, good-on-you for giving it a go.

Next up we had the ‘Crepes.’  The songs were up beat and feel good, the lead singer’s voice was fantastic, and i look forward to hearing a studio version of this bands material.  They had a good songwriting ability and their music reminded me a bit of Paul Kelly.  The Crepes, had a laid back approach to performing which is contagious with the audience! Nice work guys.

 

CHILL & GRILL ‘Acoustic Special’

Today’s Chill and Grill event was definitely an ‘Acoustic Special’  Both acts were talented songwriters in their own right. ‘Hearts Of Others’ was the first track played by Harry Storm at the Chill and Grill event.  Harry’s lyrical content was beautiful, with an ambiguity that allowed the audience to interpret the heartfelt songs personally.  Harry’s songs are inspired by love and relationships, and the audience seemed captivated throughout the set.  Harry’s melodies are original with strong vocal dynamics.  I think it would be nice for Harry to tell a little bit of a background story between songs to engage the audience further, as his songs have a ‘story telling’ essence to them.

The second artist to play was  Matt Harrison.  Matt began the set with a song called ‘Running Shoes’ it began with a nice instrumental solo section on the guitar, slightly improvisational and fluid, well executed playing.  He had a soft voice and a calm presence on stage.  His lyrics were engaging, and reminiscent of artists like ‘James Taylor’ or ‘Jose Gonzales’.  I think the event today was a nice contrast to some of the other Chill and Grill events,  it was slow paced and relaxing.  The sound engineers on the day did a great job!

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Feeling hungry? Feeling thirsty? Music maybe? ‘CHILL & GRILL’

Seattle Fix: https://www.facebook.com/seattlefix

Little Miss Remembering: https://www.facebook.com/littlemissremembering

Little Miss Remembering kicked off the set with a cruisy country rock vibe.  You could tell these guys felt comfortable and confident up on stage.  The kind of guys that love their guitars.  Their presentation was impeccable, with matching shirts!  Although they seem to be in the developmental phase of their project, you can see where this sound is heading, and I’m definitely going to keep my eyes out for these guys in the future and watch the band grow and evolve!

The second Group, Seattle fix, were an exciting acoustic duo with nice acoustic guitar rhythm and a very smooth sounding female vocalist.  My personal opinion about music is that ‘its all about the vocals,’ and this group have an advantage over others purely based on the vocal strength of the Duo.

Chill & Grill Event Poster 28th August.

The talented Duo which is Little Miss Remembering.

Heres a link to the video footage from the Chill and Grill event, CHECK IT YO, SEE FOR YOURSELF!

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Chill & Grill – Olivia Heinlein & For Ex-Lovers Only

Another successful week for the Chill & Grill event in Bowens Lane, RMIT Universtiy city campus.
Olivia Heinlein set was gentle and her voice carried well and sounded great.  She was accompanied by a talented young classical guitar player.  Her songs are reminiscent of Fleetwood mac, catchy, melodic with intuitive love inspired lyrics.  I was impressed by Olivia’s confidence on stage, and the way in which she engaged with the audience between songs.  Although some artists have this skill naturally, i feel this is a skill that has to be developed through practice, and the only way to develop it further is to exercise spontaneity and show confidence.  The audience is there to listen and observe, and they scrutinise and analyse a performance, and so its crucial to be an intuitive performer, that can control and almost manipulate the energy of a set from one song to the next, to ensure the crowd is entertained.

I thought the second band ‘For ex Lovers only’ did not suit the event, or compliment Olivia’s set.  It was ‘muddy’ sounding, with little clarity overall.   I feel its very important to think about the lineup of an event, to ensure the audience is captivated from start to finish.  This was a poor choice by the event organisers and promoters, and i believe the crowd lost a lot if interest, which would directly affect the reputation, and overall outcome perception of the event.

Chill & Grill

Jess Porter & Andy Ukhtomsky – 14 August 2013

Beginning the Set in Bowen’s Lane at RMIT University City Campus, was Jesse Porter. A melbourne talent, with a natural songwriting ability and confidence on stage. Jess captivated the audience and created a stella vibe for people to enjoy a beer and bbq during a cold winter day.

Andy livened the mood with his original house style music, and eclectic mix of samples and beats. Extremely well executed set and we were very lucky to have him play.

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