We thought we were busy in 2022 – 2023 was off the charts for us! We worked hard,
We thought we were busy in 2022 – 2023 was off the charts for us!
We worked hard, we tried new things, some worked (hello TikTok) and some did not (our ever languishing YouTube channel). We made the most of what worked and dusted ourselves off from the knock-backs, challenges and kept going. We will be expanding our horizons next year, capitalising from this years successes and keep aiming higher and higher (punching above our weight, damn straight!) – Bec Harbour – Editor.
With the year coming to a close, The Live Wire community have decided to look back on the year that was, when it comes to our favourite music and events for 2023. We asked some of our contributors to put together a list of what has made their 2023.
Luci Scott – writer/photographer/pit gremlin
Top 10 albums
10. Magnolia Park – Halloween mixtape II
9. Movements – RUCKUS!
8. Broadside – Hotel Bleu
7. Bearings – the best part about being human
6. Waterparks – Intellectual Property
5. Alt. – ABEYANCE
4. Honey Revenge – Retrovision
3. Sleep Token – Take Me Back To Eden
2. Trophy Eyes – Suicide and Sunshine
1. Pierce the Veil – The Jaws of Life
Top 10 shows 2023
1. Neck Deep – forum Melbourne 5/9
2. Pierce the Veil – riverstage 29/7
3. You Me at Six – Tivoli 13/7
4. Sleep Token – Tivoli 27/4
5. No Pressure – vinnies dive 20/1
6. The Plot in You – Howler 30/11
7. Good Things Melbourne 1/12
8. Knotfest Brisbane 26/3
9. Between You & Me secret show – Melbourne 29/9
10. Short Stack – Tivoli 20/10
| Luci embarked on a journey of sorts to see all 3 Good Things Festivals in December this year – we all laughed and said she was going to die (close, but our wee pit gremlin is still upright). Luci saw in addition to all 3 festivals a staggering 5 additional shows in that fortnight AND drove to and from Melbourne to catch all 3 Good Things dates in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane! Luci has lost count of how many shows/festivals she has seen this year but we clock it at about 120+ acts/bands over 70+ dates – Ed. |
Charlotte – writer
10. The National – The First Two Pages of Frankenstein
9. Tia Gostelow – Head Noise
8. Teenage Joans – The Rot That Grows Inside My Chest
7. Gretta Ray – Positive Spin
6. Alex Lahey – The Answer is Always Yes
5. Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers – I Love You
4. Cub Sport – Jesus at the Gay Bar
3. Cry Club – Spite Will Save Me
2. G Flip – Drummer
1. Hope D – Clash of the Substance
Hope D‘s debut album, Clash of the Substance hit the airwaves in February of 2023 and quickly cemented itself as one of Meanjin’s best modern indie pop albums. A collection of heartbreak woes, tales of party filled nights, and every emotion in-between Clash of the Substance is guaranteed to have a song to soundtrack anything you’re going through. With standout hits including ‘Happy Hangover’ and ‘Emerald’, shades of vulnerability in ‘Fragile’ and ‘Safety Nets’, and hidden gems in ‘Used To Be’ and ‘Senseless’, both Hope D and Clash of the Substance are not to be slept on.
| Charlotte is our newest writer. Her first assignment was a big one – The Chicks out at Brisbane Entertainment Centre and she slid into the writing role like she had been there forever – sending us insta stories (with her soundtracking the footage with her own vocals!). 2024 is going to be a big one for Charlotte and her love of alt-pop! – Ed |
Charlyn – photographer
L-R – Babymetal FMH – Static-X Eatons Hill Hotel – Parkway Drive Knotfest Brisbane Showgrounds
Damien – writer
10. Conspiracy of One – Road to Reason
9. Paulina – Just Know, It’ll be okay
8. Suicide Country Hour – Injune
7. August River Band – Media
6. Rutherford Jazz Trio – Greatest Hits of The Rutherford Jazz Trio
5. Flamingo Blonde – Two Trick Pony
4. Lyric – Every Colour, Every Hue
3. Karoshi – Prey to be Saved
2. Sarah Stockholm – Traces of Humanity
1. DZ Deathrays – R.I.F.F
DZ Deathrays – R.I.F.F scored my number one because I’m a sucker for brash rock music where the vocals are melodic, yet audacious. Plus I just love the philosophy of ‘Remember It’s For Fun!’
Tam – photographer
L-R Ghost (BEC) – Limp Bizkit (FMH) – Wednesday 13 (The Brightside)
Harry – writer
10. The Darkness (20th anniversary edition) – Permission to Land… Again
9. Super American Eagle – Self Titled
8. Duff McKagan – Lighthouse
7. Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds
6. Black Pumas – Chronicles of a Diamond
5. The Gaslight Anthem – History Books
4. Sun Room (EP) – Outta Their Minds
3. Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds – Council Skies
2. The Struts – Pretty Vicious
1. Foo Fighters – But Here We Are
Foo Fighters – But Here We Are– After facing incredible losses in 2022, Dave Grohl and his crew came together and pushed forward the best way they knew how – writing songs and rocking out. The result is not only my favourite release of 2023, but Foo Fighters strongest album in over 20 years. An amazing mix of heavy hitting anthems with heartfelt songs about love, loss and how to move forward, all building towards the the 10-minute penultimate epic, ‘The Teacher’, before ending on the heartbreaking ‘Rest’. But Here We Are takes its tragic beginnings and mixes them with powerful emotion and thunderous drums to make for my number one album in 2023.
Maxine – photographer
L-R Holding Absence Tivoli – Waterparks The Princess Theatre
Lucas – writer
10. Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
9. August Burns Red – Death Below
8. Story of the Year – Tear Me to Pieces
7. Polaris – Fatalism
6. Better Lovers – God Made Me an Animal EP
5. In Flames – Forgone
4. Periphery – Djent Is Not a Genre
3. Sleep Token – Take Me Back to Eden
2. Osaka Punch – Mixed Ape
1. Gunship – Unicorn
Gunship Unicorn wasn’t the record I expected to take my number one slot this year, but holy hell what an incredible record. I’ve been a fan of Gunship for a number of years, but this album is definitely my favourite record by miles. Bolstered with an insane list of featured artists, from Tyler Bates, Dave Lombardo of Slayer on the 80s vibes dripping ‘Monster in Paradise’, to industrial rock band HEALTH on ‘Blood for the Blood God’, which feels like it’s ripped straight from the Blade soundtrack, all the way to the horror master himself, John Carpenter returning from the last record to do the opening narration for ‘Tech Noir 2’, this album has something for everyone. My recommended track though would have to be ‘Empress of the Damned’. Blending pure EDM, with catchy pop hooks from singer Lights, some sexy saxophone, and an overall stellar vibe, it’s definitely the standout track. 10/10 record and a must listen.
| Lucas is our longest serving contributor – Lucas jumped in before the shit-storm that was lockdowns to cover Antiskeptic’s Blast from the Past tour at the Triffid. Then lockdowns hit and we were in stasis for that time, after things started to come back, Lucas has worked on new music reviews and clocked up some staggering gig attendance this year as well as maintaining the shifting sands that is the gig calendar for both Brisbane and Melbourne live events – Ed |
Justin – photographer/writer
L-R – Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) Tivoli – Me First & the Gimme Gimme’s Miami Marketta – Switchfoot The Triffid
Cody-James – writer
3. Polaris – Fatalism
2. Joey Valence & Brae – Punk Tactics
1. Sleep Token – Take Me Back to Eden
Sleep Token – Take Me Back to Eden – The standard of the metal scene had a bar set so high not even the most experienced in the genre came close. Sleep Token compiled on me of the most emotional and original pieces of art in recent years, with an album that will transcend the future of the fastest growing band on the planet.
| TikTok was something I had set up and ignored (to be fair it was not able to be linked to the other social accounts and that in itself pissed me off). You will notice that Cody has done most of our TikTok broadcasts – our Good Things Festival and Knotfest line-up prediction posts are the highest viewed so far! Cody has run with new music reviews, live reviews and interviews – 2024 is going to be huge – Ed |
Brad – photographer/writer
L-R The Chats (Gladstone) – Spacey Jane (Rockhampton) – Stand Atlantic (Mackay)
| Brad is our most remote photographer based in Central Queensland so anytime a band or artist books in locally, Brad is on it! Brad has clocked up some k’s travelling not only around Central Queensland but down to the ‘Biggest Country Town’ in Australia, Brisbane to cover gigs – Ed |
Bec – editor/photographer
4. DZ Deathrays – R.I.F.F
3. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – The Silver Cord
2. Iggy Pop – Every Loser
1. Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman
Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman – the eighth studio album by Homme and crew – possibly delayed by Josh Homme’s health and personal issues and working on Iggy Pop’s album. It’s one of the subsequent singles ‘Paper Machete’ that made me really pay attention and realise that In Times New Roman was an album unlike anything but like everything they had ever done before.
Top 3 photos this year
(or the top 3 gigs I was excited to photograph this year)
L-R Perry Farrell (Janes Addiction) The World is A Vampire – Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeah’s) Hordern Pavilion – Paul Banks (Interpol) Riverstage