Stone Temple Pilots

The Palais.

It’s been thirty years since the release of the iconic sophomore album for Stone Temple Pilots- the definitive album that would put them on the map- ‘ Purple’. Having cracked the grunge world with the debut album ‘ Core’ the band were launched into the stratosphere. Featuring on the soundtrack to the cult classic movie The Crow, with the single ‘ Big Empty’ only further cemented their place in history as one of the greatest bands to come out of the grunge era, despite not being from Seattle.

Playing the album in its entirety the set kicks off with ‘ Meatplow’ and the audience are on their feet straight away. Not pausing for a breath it’s straight into ‘ Vasoline’ and ‘ Meatplow’ with frontman Jeff Gutt making his way into the crowd along the very narrow orchestra pit.

Not many bands of the 90s have lost a lead singer and replaced them with success. INXS tried and failed, Soundgarden folded. Stone Temple Pilots have found a fantastic singer in Jeff Gutt. While Scott Weiland was a legend and icon, Gutt doesn’t try to replicate him- he brings his own flair to the show. He’s got that rock star cool, mingled with a little sexiness and a deep growl of vocals. He’s fantastic to watch and he brings the songs to life.

Powering through the album, the crowd are treated to favourites ‘ Pretty Penny’ and ‘ Silvergun Superman’ the band doesn’t stop.

Ending the album with ‘ Kitchenware and Candybars’ it’s been an outstanding show. Moving onto showcasing a few tracks from the album ‘ Core’ they deliver ‘ Wicked Garden’ ‘ Sex Type Thing’ and ‘ Crackerman’.

The albums debuted within close succession so it makes perfect sense to end the show with a few tracks from the album that launched their career.

Stone Temple Pilots have given Melbourne a nostalgic trip back to the 90s, with grungy vocals, the DeLeo brothers performing perfectly alongside Gutt. Losing Weiland was a tragedy for the music world, he was a gifted musical genius, but with Gutt at the helm the band have proven that a phoenix can rise from the ashes. This will be a performance long remembered by Melbourne fans.

Knotfest

Flemington Racecourse

Melbourne

A stellar line up returns to Melbourne for the annual Knotfest Festival, a gathering of some of the world’s best heavy metal bands.

The sun is unrelenting as fans gather at the grounds, the day kicking off with Sunami to get the morning going. Crowds have lined up early to rush both the stage and merch tent.

The dual stages make it easy for fans to go between sets, as Vended following Miss May I are up for the early afternoon. The sprinklers are popular right about now as the temperature soars to over thirty degrees.

A sea of black shirts swamps the stage for Slaughter to Prevail, the Russians giving an excellent performance- showing off some impressive vocals front man Alex Terrible. The show is momentarily halted as security assist a patron with a medical emergency. Once that’s cleared its back to business to end out the set.

Australian metal band Polaris are up next, flames heating the stage, Jamie Hails encourages the crowd to get a circle pit going and it’s absolute mayhem. Bodies fly through the air, landing to get back up and run back in.

Iconic Japanese metal sensation Babymetal are all matching in metallic coloured dresses as they take to Stage One for their performance . Their choreography is perfection and entertaining to watch. It should be noted though that the instrumental side of this act is sensational, the session musicians are phenomenal. The women break the barriers of metal, creating a whole new genre labeled ‘ Kawaii- Metal’. They’re fun to watch, the crowd are absolutely enthralled.

As the sun begins to set A Day To Remember are the second last act before Slipknot. They take this timing very seriously, they’re here to get everyone pumped for the final act.  Flames surround Jeremy McKinnon as he gets a circle pit in the crowd. It’s chaos, but in a good way. Rolls of toilet paper fly through the air as the sun sets, and a Day To Remember make their set one of the most memorable of the day.

Darkness falls as Corey Taylor storms the stage for the final act. The entire crowd crushes in closer to get a glimpse of the masked singer. The whole stage is absolute mayhem, clowns and masked musicians playing in a cacophony of sound. Fists pump the air in beat to the drums and the crowd drink in the sound.

Knotfest again has been a huge success, with the crowd loving every single act. The facilities are well organised and the dual stages means there are no clashes. It certainly is a great format for such a big event, as fans aren’t forced to choose which band they’ll miss out on. Each act has come out and given stellar performances, and it’s hard to pinpoint exactly which one is the best.

As the sea of black shirts all file out of the grounds at the end of the night, it’s clear to see why Knotfest has become a much anticipated event on the festival calendar.

Words and images by Amanda Lee Starkey

Live Review: Elderbrook

Forum Melbourne

27 February 2025

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Local producer Tyson O’Brien warms up the audience with an exciting DJ set full of energetic house tracks and techno beats to dance along to.

Multifaceted British performer Elderbrook (aka Alexander Kotz), has just released his third studio album ‘Another Touch’ and tonight he brings it to life live on stage before us. The album is a journey of self-discovery, and he invites us to experience catharsis on the dance floor with him.

Beginning with ‘Shallow Water,’ the stage explodes with immersive visuals to complement the music perfectly as Elderbrook showcases his technical ability to seamlessly blend live vocals, electronic production, and instrumentation to create a dynamic and engaging show.

“It’s been a minute since I’ve been here, but it feels so good to be back. You guys are incredible!” He exclaims, as he makes a strong connection with his audience coming to the front of the stage and being present in the moment.

Throughout the energetic set, Elderbrook demonstrates his versatility as an artist, effortlessly moving between soulful ballads and high-energy dance tracks with excellent emotional buildup with heavy beat drops.

One of the standout moments of the night was his performance of ‘Cola,’ a collaboration with CamelPhat. The track’s infectious rhythm and Elderbrook’s dynamic stage presence gets everyone dancing and singing along.

His non-stop 100-minute set is an incredible live music experience that explores a diverse soundscape of merging genres that takes us in so many different directions with compelling rhythms, haunting melodies and deep, resonant euphoric beats.

Elderbrook has an unrelenting energy which is a force to be reckoned with. He moves around the stage with purpose and passion and the crowd is hooked from start to finish – joining him to dance away their troubles as he progresses through his set that slowly builds with flawless transitions from one hit to the next.

Following a short encore, he returns to the stage and encourages the crowd to go “fucking mad” before ending with ‘Inner Light’ for a climactic ending with a surge of euphoric energy.

Elderbrook’s live performance is a testament to his talent and artistry to create a unique and memorable experience that gives the audience a place to let go and free their minds on the dancefloor.

Words by Michael Prebeg

Berlin

Meat Market, North Melbourne

A small minimalist stage greets viewers upon entry to North Melbourne’s Meat Market. In what appears to be a industrial looking lounge room we meet Charlotte and Tom ( Georgia Latchford and Lachlan Hamill) who have returned to Charlotte’s apartment after an encounter at a Berlin nightclub. 

What ensues is a night of deep conversation, a little passion and flirtation. As the night progresses we delve deeper into the motivations of each character and what has brought them together in this apartment in Berlin.

Tom, an Australian on a journey- but as we uncover who Tom really is, we unravel the mystery of how he has ended up in Berlin.

As the charismatic Charlotte is drawn deeper into Tom’s web of fantasy, his dark motivations eventually becoming clear. Is Charlotte caught in Tom’s web of romantic deception or will she escape?

The final twist is one that viewers will not see coming and as it’s played out, the final scenes are both shocking and heartbreaking.

The minimal stage is the perfect set for the performance, as it doesn’t take away from the dialogue at all. At times the subject matter is heavy, and to have another more complex stage would take away from the performances.

Both Georgia Latchford and Lachlan Hamill give excellent performances, however the strong German accent of Charlotte can be a little hard to understand at times. Georgia and Lachlan manage to have the audience so enraptured in their story that you can hear a pin drop in the audience- when Tom’s plan is unveiled viewers are on the edge of their seats. Both actors give such fantastic performances that the audience will remember this romantic thriller for a long time. They work together so well to bring a melodramatic and memorable show to the stage. Berlin is a captivating brilliant piece of work that will leave viewers gasping as the thriller unfolds. 

Directed by Erica Chestnut and starring Georgia Latchford and Lachlan Hamill, the romantic thriller by one of Australia’s most renowned playwrights will play a strictly limited season at Meat Market North Melbourne from 27 February 2025.