You Am I (Strung Up Tour) – Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Sunday 18 October 2026

You Am I, with a side of Strings: Aussie Pub Rock Goes Fine Dining

There's nothing better than standing out on the Opera House concourse with a mate and a beer, looking at the Harbour Bridge, waiting for a show to start. Jim and I did exactly that before You Am I took the stage, one of Australia's most beloved bands, playing one of the best Australian albums ever made, in one of the country's most spectacular venues. We hadn't even gone in yet.

Portugal. The Man: The Metro Theatre Sydney, 14 October 2028

Portugal. The Man: Rain Jackets and Bucket Hats
Neither of us had seen Portugal. The Man before, and as it turned out, neither of us really knew what we were getting ourselves into.

Photo credit: Peter Dovgan

Gomez, The Espy, St Kilda, 16 November 2019

20 years on and we are still all just looking for our Rhythm & Blues Alibi. 

If the story of how the band Gomez got their name is true, then I love it. Allegedly at their first performance they left a sign out for their friend Gomez so he could find them and the punters thought that it must have been the actual name of the band and it just stuck. 

RNB Fridays Live 2019, Marvel Stadium Melbourne, 9 November 2019

Let this be a lesson to you kids. Do not drink red wine and then let your wife buy concert tickets for the following day. I have previously fallen into this trap when my wife “got me” Madonna tickets.  And this Friday I woke up with a bit have hang over and tickets to RNB Fridays.

Tim Freedman & Alana Wilkinson, The Espy (The Esplanade Hotel), 30 October 2019

A letter to myself on a cassette, ‘cause I don’t blog anymore. 

It‘s been eleven years that I have lived out of Australia, that means eleven years since I have watched Tim perform live…..eleven long years of not hearing his dulcet tones, seeing his mannerisms and witnessing this enigmatic piano player hard at work performing to his audience.

Wolfmother, Melkweg, 24 July 2018

Five takeaways from the show:

1. Amsterdam is still the most livable city for live music I have ever known

It will never get old that you can leave your ‘suburban’ family home at 8.30pm and be standing a couple of meters from the stage, beer in hand, ready to go for the opening song at 9pm. What a city….

The Rural Alberta Advantage – Bitterzoet, 9 March 2018

According to a recent study* conducted by O2 and Goldsmith’s University Associate Lecturer Patrick Fagan, attending a live music gig can help you live longer. Apparently, experiencing a gig for just 20 minutes can result in a 21% increase in feelings of well-being. Further research found a direct link between “high levels of well-being [and] a lifespan increase of nine years”, therefore suggesting that being exposed to live music could help you live longer.

I can’t speak to the science but anyone who was at the Rural Alberta Advantage show in Amsterdam this month will vouch for its findings and an increased feeling of well-being.