After a support U.S. tour with Justice exposed them to a legion of new fans, Australia’s Midnight Juggernauts are poised to become headliners in their own right. Big Shot met up with the trio from Down Under backstage at their show at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City, where they talked about this month’s mini tour of America and their debut album, Dystopia, which was recently released in the States. Guess which Juggernaut confessed about a case of mistaken identity with one of the members of Justice?
Big Shot Magazine
Live review: Midnight Juggernauts at Le Poisson Rouge
Australia’s Midnight Juggernauts’ are part of the growing global contingent of bands that embrace elements of rock and electronic music. But the key to their success is their impressive songwriting chops. Though they’re chart heroes back at home and have outsold Mariah and Madonna, the trio, who last toured in America opening for with Justice, are still a new proposition in the States. But judging by the turnout at Le Poisson Rouge (Bumblebeez were also on the bill), that’s about to change.
After an opening DJ set from hip-hop legend Grandmaster Flash, who cleverly dropped mainstream rock favorites by Nirvana and The White Stripes before he sauntered into a lackluster mishmash of schlocky hip-hop (why does every DJ want to hear some noise?), Midnight Juggernauts opened with their feisty “So Many Frequencies” from their debut album, Dystopia. The trio—keyboardist/singer Vincenzi Vendetta, bassist/guitarist Andrew Juggernaut and drummer Daniel Stricker—are a tenacious proposition. They’re loud, and they know how to rock. As Vandetta and Juggernaut prowl the stage and frequently trade instruments, they stomp around with the grace of a band who’ve been at it for much longer. Stricker pounds his skins with the audacious thump in the vein of John Bonham. When part of his drum kit fell apart during a song, he stood up and kept playing as a tech made a quick repair.
By the time the trio launched into “Tombstone,” they were in the zone. A hootchie jumped up on stage and started to gyrate next to Vendetta (who had donned a bass), but it didn’t even phase them. Did he even notice here? By the next song, the tall, lanky Vendetta returned the favor, bending down into crowd and pressing the flesh while he multi-tasked. Where Midnight Juggernauts were grossly overshadowed on their last Stateside outing with Justice, they’ve come into their own and proved they’re ready for the headlining slot.
Words & images: Darren Ressler
Fabio: “Welcome Home, Grooverider!”
After ten months of silence about the arrest and conviction of his BBC Radio One radio show partner Grooverider, Fabio (pictured) broke his silence and commented on Saturday night’s show about his friend’s pardon and release from a Dubai prison. Fabio sounded elated and was relieved that Grooverider was back home in England
“My great friend of many, many years…is back,” Fabio said. “I spoke to him a couple of times, and he sounds fine. He’s going to take a little time off, sit down, get some tunes and get everything back together, see his friends and family. The scene hasn’t been quite the same without the man. The godfather is back in town!”
Live review: Tricky at The Fillmore at Irving Plaza
Tricky’s live show is as trim as the Bristolian MC’s physique. There’s hardly any banter with the crowd or any sort of posturing, and his backing band barrels through song after song almost without a break. Like his music, the stage is dark and moody, and the spotlight never singles him out. Last night’s show at Irving Plaza was in support of Tricky’s eighth solo album, Knowle West Boy, and it had a few flaws.
The show began with Phil Collins’ “In the Air” blasting through the club’s PA while the stage was dark and absent of the man of the hour. As the song finished, Tricky and his crew took the stage and tore through a set that consisted of tracks from the new album. Curiously, he dove into one of KWB’s most somber songs, “Past Mistake,” early in his set, as he sang along with a female singer (who had decent singing chops but can’t dance to save her life). It seemed that uptempo numbers like “Puppy Toy” are indeed his newly found forte, and he appeared to be in a trance while spitting his lyrics. A Jamaican MC joined Tricky on stage to perform a cut from the new album, but it was far from the brilliant cameo his colleagues in Massive Attack typically muster up. Tricky continued his back-and-forth with his female vocalist, though much of it seemed too dramatic after a while.
The real stinker of the night was an awful cover of XTC’s “Dear God,” which appeared on 2003’s mostly dismal release, Vulnerable. Despite the night’s flaws, Tricky’s new material is some of his best work in a decade; perhaps more shows with his hired hands will help the music evolve in an organic manner. In terms of his performance, however, he’s hardly selfish: Tricky might be a superstar in some circles, but he seems completely open sharing his stage with anyone who’s on his vibe.
Words & images: Darren Ressler
