Blog — Page 84 of 282

Spring Loaded

Racecourse Randwick

Sydney, Australia

May 8, 2021

Australia continues to see 2021 bringing back a sense of normalcy, with live shows becoming more regular occurrences and bigger music festivals returning.

After having had an ill-fated COVID-tainted start in 2020, it was great to see the Spring Loaded extravaganza going ahead.

In essence, Spring Loaded is a daylong homage to the early days of festivals like Big Day Out and Homebake, with the line-up paying homage to the crème de la crème of Australian music from the 1990s.

The Sydney incarnation of the nationwide touring festival saw an eclectic bill comprised of bands like Grinspoon, Jebediah, Magic Dirt, Frenzal Rhomb, The Meanies and Tumbleweed amongst other take the stage and while there certainly was a sense of nostalgia and a more mature aged audience, the bands proved to be no less visceral and thrilling than twenty plus years ago, with quite a few of them not only relying on their respective back catalogues but convincing with their most recent emissions.

Upon first entering the festival grounds, Brisbane’s Screamfeeder serenaded us as they were in the midst of exciting an already sizeable audience with a solid set, followed by Tumbleweed from Wollongong, who I have been longing to experience in the third dimension for the longest time as I have always harboured a weak spot for them marrying sixties psychedelia with lush wah-wah drenched layerings to create their idiosyncratic stoner rock variant.

What better band could follow than the Australian alternative rock institution Magic Dirt with their polished garage rock, with especially their earlier Sonic Youth and PJ Harvey inspired tracks from their formative phase proving to be highlights of the day.

Frenzal Rhomb has been around for nearly thirty years and is yet to disappoint in a live environment. With their idiosyncratic melange of tongue-in-cheek high-octane punk rock blasts and quality banter, they delivered a tight and energetic set that despite the size of the festival felt intimate.

Next up was Jebediah channelling their straight forward alternative rock, which translates brilliantly to a live show as it foregoes virtuosic window-dressing and instead focusses on kick-ass tunes, with each one seamlessly transitioning into the next.

Having seen Phil Jamieson perform not only solo but also in a variety of guises as part of collaborations over the last couple of years, it was good to see him back at the helm of Grinspoon. Well-aged and refined on the exterior,  the crowd-pleasing set was a mix of both unpolished and polished classic tracks, delivered in a powerful and on-point manner with Jamieson not only belting out bangers with his trademark boisterous vocal delivery but energetically bouncing about with gusto while doing so.

Summa summarum, a day that not only celebrated some of the bast Australian alternative has to offer but a celebration of the joys that only live music can deliver.

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photos by @k.a.vv

Water of Life – Ester Spirits

The mushrooming of gin distilleries on terra australis has been thoroughly documented over the last couple of years and while quality as well as idiosyncraticity are constantly evolving with new haunts opening their doors on a constant basis, the ones run by luminaries from the hospitality scene add another dimension to the craft.

Case in point: Ester Spirits, which was incepted by a husband and wife team with longstanding experience when it comes to boozy matters and an astute knowledge of what works within the confines of a bar with a knowledgeable clientele.

With the mission to create quality gin that is both flavourful and fun without any gimmicky window-dressing, they have set out to channel their alchemy in a traditional and authentic manner.

Ester Spirits’ core expression, i.e. their Dry Gin, is in essence an homage to the test and tried traditional London Dry style. Infused with a sense of provenance with the addition of Australian botanicals – think liquorice root, coriander – it is a bold tour de force of juniper, accentuated of spicy, pepper berry highlights with a delicate backdrop of citrus courtesy of lemon myrtle and native finger lime, culminating in a finish on the sweeter, mandarin end of the flavour spectrum.

Paying respect to both the yin and yang with floral as well as fiery characteristics being married, it is a drop that I do not mind sipping by itself neat, however, it would not be the creation of a hospo couple if they did not consider how it would make an ideal component of not merely a good ole dry G & T but specifically Martinis, Negronis or Gimlets, which can also be ordered directly from Ester Spirit in their own refined  ready-made versions.

Things are taken up a notch or two with Ester’s Strong Gin – again, the focus is on essentials and no time wasted on fancy nomenclature.

Being a fan of cask strength whiskies, the Strong Gin, which clocks in at 57% ABV, plays on the characteristics of the aforementioned Dry Gin, yet in an amplified manner and with the addition of hints of eucalyptus and rooted in earthy undertones.

Not entirely sure that the future holds for Ester Spirits but given what I have experienced, I can only hope that down the line they will channel their alchemy in creating whiskies.

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image from company website

The Formative Years – Blut + Eisen

It was in the second half of the seventeenth century that the President of Prussia, i.e. Otto von Bismarck, concluded a speech pertaining to the reunification of Germany by coining the phrase “Blut & Eisen”, a thinly veiled reference to a poem drenched in patriotism by Max von Schenkendorf. An occurrence which eventually coined him to become widely known as the “iron chancellor”.

Almost simultaneously to learning about the factoid in a history lesson at school, the name became a staple in my punk rock collection with the band Blut + Eisen from Hannover entering my world.

Formed in 1982, the band lasted for five years and left a legacy that proves hard to rival for any German punk band coming after them.

What started inspired by Die Toten Hosen predecessor ZK evolved to one of the fiercest and musically tightest German punk and hardcore acts the old world had to offer in the 1980ies, starting with a contribution to the classic “Keine Experimente!“ compilation from 1983, released on the Weird System label, which we have covered previously.

Their intense first album “Schrei doch!“ not only stands the test of time musically but is enhanced by the production courtesy of what has become a legendary producer, i.e. Harris Johns, and should be an integral part of any respectable punk / hardcore collection as even Maximum Rock’n Roll acknowledged early one, deeming it to be “easily one of Germany‘s hardest-driving punk rock albums ever“.  

The powerhouse  that is their 7“ “Fleisch rollt“ remains my favourite German punk releases ever – hard, fast staccato‘ed and to the point.  

The second full-length “…Schön Geseh’n” adorned by Hieronymus Bosch artwork saw Blut + Eisen incarnate with a more refined and never not gripping lyrics. While it lacks the in-your-face powerful sound that Johns channeled his alchemy in for the first album and that Musiclab studios became known for, it shows the band retaining their DNA but offering a more varied and a welcome diverse delivery. Think the dissonance known from Birthday Party, a deliberate playful emphasis on breaks influenced by No Means No and an overarching approach that came to herald the new age of the second wave of SST Records, i.e. Husker Du and Sonic Youth.

Water of Life – Launceston Distillery

Our coverage of the Tasmanian whiskey landscape have mainly been focussed on Hobart and its surroundings, which could be perceived as one of the epicentres when it comes to quality drops on terra australis.

However, the island off the South of Australia’s mainland has more to offer than what is being channelled in its most prominent town. Case in point: Launceston Distillery.

Based not far from the vineyards of Tasssie’s North coast known for its world class Pinot Noir, Launcestion Distillery transformed a former airport hangar into a facility that would house  their wash and spirit stills, which were refined by  Bailly of Knapp Lewer Engineering.

Being all about provenance with the use of oak casks that previously held fortified wine, Launceston’s whisky variants are based on a foundation of  Tasmanian malted barley and water sourced  from the South Esk river and with the head distiller Chris Condon having honed his craft at both a reputable brewery as well as having been involved in the founding of Nant Distillery, one could not hope for a more competent man to be at the helm of operations.

My first exposure to Launceston Distillery’s emissions was via its Tawny Cask expression and what tickled the nose was a light melange of sugary aromas, rotted in raisiny terrain, which seamlessly transition to the palate, where things got more complex as the flavour range expanded via both sweet cereal as well as spicy nuances with cinnamon, anise and liquorice taking on prominent roles. The finish bookends the journey with a return to raisins set against a backdrop of earthy oak flavours.

The Bourbon Cask expression hits the nose with fruity, vanilla-esque sultana accents. On the top of the mouth, the  viscous and oily mouthfeel lends itself well to transport an integration of malty highlights with warming spices and caramel, before the medium length finish leaves one with dried fruits mixing in with cinnamon and the faintest hint of woody smoke.

Given the aforementioned drams, my expectations were set high when I approached Launceston’s peated expression. With peated barley sourced from Scotland and then brewed, fermented and distilled at their hangar, the result was matured in smaller sized American Oak bourbon casks for thirty months, before whisky from a French Oak tawny cask was added.

On the nose, the peated expression materialized via sweet and honeyed fruit aromas, which on the palate is being extended as wonderful peat smoke dances with malty barley, marzipan and spicy highlights.

Sweet honey and vanilla nuances reach into the elongated  finish, which is bookended by a peaty earthiness. I would recommend to let the peated expression breathe a bit as it will allow for the peaty mustiness to unfold its magic. An example par excellence for the meticulousness that head distiller Chris Condon channels his alchemy in.

Given the fact that Launceston Distillery is relatively new, I cannot wait to see which direction they will take their future releases.

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image from company website

High Adventures in the Great Outdoors – Lonely Planet

It has been almost fifty years since Lonely Planet was incepted, following Maureen and Tony Wheeler’s trip across Europe, Asia and eventually Australia and what has started with some stapled booklets, has evolved to becoming the go-to resource for anyone remotely interested in travelling and exploring this earthround and print runs of their travel guides in the millions with a portfolio of hundreds of titles.

While Lonely Planet eventually transitions online and with a digital presence encompassing close to one-hundred and fifty applications, Lonely Planet remains its significance despite the implications and downturn resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

When I first started travelling beyond the confines of European borders in the early 1990s, my first exposure to Lonely Planet was via its Southeast Asia on a Shoestring book, which helped me to navigate my journeys as I was backpacking through Thailand with its focus firmly set on budget travel. The purchase of many more guides followed and it became a trusted initial resource to get one’s bearings, info about transport options and basic activities upon first exposure to uncharted territories, before one then started to venture further.

Despite having undergone a massive digital revamp, Lonely Planet has retained its status as the largest guidebook company, with recent incarnations of their book branching out into welcome new, specialised and niche areas.

Case in point: The triumvirate of release centred around the themes of libations and cuisines, i.e. Global Beer Tour, Global Distillery Tour and Gourmet Trails, exploring the vibrant worlds of craft beers, tap rooms, restaurants, distilleries, breweries and bars in over thirty countries in a dedicated manner, substantiated by expert insights from local luminaries and recommendations as to other local attractions and activities.

The Gourmet Trails book zeroing in on Australia and New Zealand is currently being utlizised as it comes in handy with inspiration as to where weekends away can be spent, while taking in as many quality restaurants, cafes, etc. as possible in picturesque surroundings.

An integral part of travelling is capturing your journeys and while it has never been easier to snap away with your mobile device to capture every insignificant occurrence right away, which  you will probably never ever look at again, curation and selection are key.

Lonely Planet to the rescue: Its book The Perfect Shot reveals not only how to get the most out of photo opportunities around picturesque locations, but luminaries from the field of photography share their expertise and give useful insights in how to create the best shot possible in a variety of contexts, from off-the-beaten track locations to the sights that have been captured millions of times from all angles imaginable. A book that should be interesting for the dedicated traveller as much as anyone into photography, as it is not only a visually appealing tour de force but the engaging background stories allow one to immerse oneself deeply in the topic.

In 2021, despite having updated its approach and channels, Lonely Planet proves to be as relevant as ever not only with their core range of guide books, but also their multilingual online content online and new portfolio of lifestyle books.