Brian Johnston

The blue-coloured- light drenched the stage, signifying the trademark colour of Rising. Beth Gibbons is here as part of Rising festival to showcase her solo album, Lives Outgrown, with a seven- piece band of musicians. Gibbons last toured Melbourne 15 years ago with proponents of trip hop, Portishead, appearing at Harvest Festival. There she was bathed in the golden afternoon rays of sunlight, but now she’s obscured by stage lights in alternating hues. Her musicians are backlit and positioned either side of the stage in groups of three and the keyboardist is in the centre behind Gibbons.

Patty Griffin has a new song ‘Back At The Start’, signalling her upcoming 11th album ‘Crown of Horses’.

The Whitlams will play a third show with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Hamer Hall in September.

‘Churn’, the 1994 debut album for Seven Mary Three, has had an extra nine tracks for an all-new expanded edition.

Burton C Bell has used his powerful new song ‘Savages’ as editorial, calling out the felon and his flock of ungodly evangelists.

Skid Row’s 1989self-titled debut reached no 12 in Australia, no 6 in the USA and went all the way to no. 1 in New Zealand. In November, Sebastian Bach will perform the entire album in Australia.

The Ferguson Rogers Process, the collective of Lance Ferguson of The Bamboos and Tim Rogers of You Am I, have slipped out a Space and Tim Dub mix of ‘A Long Year’.