Live Review: Melbourne Music Week

Day One, Nov 17

With a break in Face The Music talks for lunch, out on the library forecourt it's time for some live music, naturally. If you had stumbled on Jawn randomly on the Internet you would be surprised to learn of his Singapore origins. His music borrows heavily from pop-inspired indie-folk with a little bit of American country/bluegrass seeping in as well. But it is just a little too safe though and fails to establish any real identity for the technically talented performer.

Acclaimed local act Jaala round out the lunchtime showcase and in the past have been a little shaky on the live stage, not being able to fully capture their dynamic and eclectic on record sound. Fortunately, today is a good all round introduction to the band as they showcase some of their dreamier numbers along with some of the more Dirty Projectors-style louder moments.

With talks having wrapped up for the day, it's time to grab a drink and snag a bit of shade. Back in the library forecourt, as part of MMW, Triple R's drive-time shows have been broadcasting live and this afternoon, it's Breaking And Entering's turn and they have an excellent and diverse line-up performing half hour sets for thirsty Face The Musicers and the general public.

Electronic duo Pillow Pro cause nothing but envy from the sunburnt front row as a marquee is erected for them to perform under. The crowd don't seem to mind the heat as the set progresses and the music itself is quite soothing and at times quite sonically blissful. Up next and sporting a chainmail bonnet (?), Hiatus Kaiyote vocalist Nai Palm is such a natural performer and makes her sporadic/soulful vocals and noodley guitar lines look incredibly easy. Her voice is a true power sounding rich and full almost to the point where she could probably go without a microphone. While the Hiatus Kaiyote neo-soul vibe is a little gone here, you don’t see anyone complaining.
As that punishing sun starts to set, Remi and Sensible J draw a sizeable and enthusiastic crowd. Beginning with a Welcome to Country piece with an ‘experimental’ indigenous artist embracing some truly dense and interesting sounds - performing some haunting spoken word over digeridoo loops and what sounds like a form of throat singing its almost worth seeing a set of it on its own. 

When Remi takes the stage they come out of the gates blaring performing new and old material and it gets the blood pumping amongst the audience. Starting their set the exact time Triple R launched some forty years ago, clearly humbled - Remi honours Triple R's 40th by playing a sample of Stevie Wonder’s Happy Birthday awkwardly dancing before returning to his cool usual self capping off the set with certified banger Substance Therapy.

Day Two, Nov 18

After a day of Face The Music talks, it's time to stop reading recipe books and get into the kitchen and cook. Playing as part of the final Triple R broadcast on the forecourt. It's Skull Caves turn, hosted today by Nicole Tadpole and Pauly P. Damien Cowell’s Disco Machine instantly bring the party with a commanding performance that's commanding as it is pure fun. Tracks like the funky Barry Gibb and their closing medley of YMCA, Disco Inferno, In the Navy, Macho Man. Daddy Cool and (surprisingly) Rowland S. Howard's Shivers it's over stimulation and the crowd get lost in the groove, naturally dancing and maybe even a little weirded out. 
While networking events can be a little tiresome, the idea is made more appealing with great bands, drinks and Indian food! In Sol Lux a pop pop-uple bar/venue in an RMIT courtyard, those who faced the music have gathered and the atmosphere is a nice laid back party vibe.

Huntley are mysteriously absent from the stage well into their schedueled set time and unfortunately it is revealed by the group's vocalist that one of the members ran into a hospital worthy emergency. While details are not known at this point, sympathies go out and hope all is well for those involved. Electronic three-piece Satsuma headline the bash and they begin with a slow beat and some speaker rumbling sub bass. The band go a little under appreciated due to the drinking... sorry, networking but the group’s heavenly vocals and analogue gear alone are worth missing a few juicy juicy connections to just sit back and drink in. 
Back at the State Library forecourt, as the sun sets the eight member-strong Dorsal Fins have attracted quite the crowd from all walks of life. The band are tight from the get-go and the mix is amazing as their playful blend of indie-pop and electronica perfectly suits the casual fun atmosphere. Dunno about their cover of Kate Cebrano's 1998 chart topper Pash, but it is without a doubt a faithful and authentic rendition. 
The final showcase for Face the Music is the accompaniment to the excellent talk that opened the day 'Women in Electronic Music'. Going down in the beautiful dome reading room, an ensemble of some of the best ladies in the game have gathered for what proves to be a sure-fire night of groovin’.
There has been a fair bit of buzz of late surrounding local producer Corin and as opposed to hearing why, it can be only assumed that she played to an empty room as we were all (!) waiting out the front.
Electronic composer and singer Buoy is musically a little quiet, but her falsetto peaks, and all round soulful voice - in combination with the room's natural reverb - reach some moments of spine-tingling beauty. While it would have been nice to see more of the instrumentation 'live', her electric keys playing is also of note and overall it's an affecting and intriguing set. 

Opening with a sample of Michael Jackson's Thriller, the stylish duo that is GL have the enthusiasm but a rough dog's breakfast of a mix with vocals absolutely blaring and such little bass coming from the PA even standing in front of the rotunda performance space it's hard to hear. The rest of the set is just kind of a charismatic walk through the motions til the end and it’s a bit of a lost opportunity.

It is a shame that the later portions of the night are plagued by simple organisational errors, considering that tonight's line-up is a celebration of a positive thing within the music community. But at the end of the day, the positives do outweigh the negatives.