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Concert Review: Highline Ballroom New York City

http://www.crestofthewave.com/blog/ Crest Of The Wave 22 February 2011 the church from Australia is playing some of the best music on planet Earth right now. They’re in Atlanta Tuesday night at 7 PM at the Variety Playhouse,1099 Euclid Avenue. If the music is anything like it was in NYC at the Highline Ballroom, I would not miss the opportunity to experience a concert of a lifetime. the church has been together for more than 25 years, playing exotic rock/alternative music with two of the finest most beautiful yet often pungent guitarists of the recorded music era. Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper are just fantastic in person, playing and jamming off of each other. Then there’s the bass player in the middle, who sings most of the songs and leads the band, Steve Kilbey. He’s become very good looking in his older years, lean yet muscular, dancing through each song, conducting the music. And the drummer is solid, Tim Powles, backing up every innuendo and accent the up front guitar/bassists place amidst all the ever changing themes and leads. There’s also a young mop haired Craig Wilson on the keys and guitars filling in lots of holes, playing riffs and leads and background openings. This band is so professional now, they decided to do this brief American tour that ends in Atlanta, by playing three albums, all songs in order, in three separate sessions, with two intermissions, and no encores. They started off with their very unusual critically acclaimed ‘Untitled #23? that opens with ‘Cobalt Blue’- available for sampling on the church website. This has a Beatles-esque refrain that haunts and entrances. ‘Desert wind in a telephone box…’ is the first line. Don’t expect simple un-creative lyrics. Poetry abounds, and not just simple easy images of love. But it seems each and every tune, especially on Untitled #23, has some fine lovely guitar work somewhere in it, […]

http://www.crestofthewave.com/blog/

Crest Of The Wave

22 February 2011

the church from Australia is playing some of the best music on planet Earth right now. They’re in Atlanta Tuesday night at 7 PM at the Variety Playhouse,1099 Euclid Avenue. If the music is anything like it was in NYC at the Highline
Ballroom, I would not miss the opportunity to experience a concert of a lifetime.

the church has been together for more than 25 years, playing exotic rock/alternative music with two of the finest most beautiful yet often pungent guitarists of the recorded music era. Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper are just fantastic in person, playing and jamming off of each other. Then there’s the bass player in the middle, who sings most of the songs and leads the band, Steve Kilbey. He’s become very good looking in his older years, lean yet muscular, dancing through each song, conducting the music. And the drummer is solid, Tim Powles, backing up every innuendo and accent the up front guitar/bassists place amidst all the ever changing themes and leads. There’s also a young mop haired Craig Wilson on the keys and guitars filling in lots of holes, playing riffs and leads and background openings.

This band is so professional now, they decided to do this brief American tour that ends in Atlanta, by playing three albums, all songs in order, in three separate sessions, with two intermissions, and no encores. They started off with their very unusual critically acclaimed ‘Untitled #23? that opens with ‘Cobalt Blue’- available for sampling on the church website. This has a Beatles-esque refrain that haunts and entrances. ‘Desert wind in a telephone box…’ is the first line.
Don’t expect simple un-creative lyrics. Poetry abounds, and not just simple easy images of love. But it seems each and every tune, especially on Untitled #23, has some fine lovely guitar work somewhere in it, often Koppes and Willson-Piper trading off, lifting each other to greater heights. And Steve Kilbey is great on the bass but then sometimes he plays guitar. Watching these guys play, there seemed to be something totally new and unpredictable making you glad you were alive to see this level of musicianship surprising you song after song during this benchmark concert. Anchorage will be song #8 on your list in the very first set. Lyrics…’Music of the snow the template of a flake/Nature you don’t know/A nice delicious ache/The conscience of a fox….

The second album showcased is the 1992 release ‘Priest=Aura’ which I apparently did not appreciate for its terrificness. The CD tho hasn’t all the guitar on it like the band gave us with voluptuous energy in NYC LIVE!! Especially the first song ‘Aura’ which started like a classical magical fugue almost – Craig Wilson doing the honors on the keyboard – and then Marty Willson-Piper performed his best guitarwork for the last half of this 7 minutes plus tune. I thought that was the highlight of the entire concert, so get back early after the first intermission and really enjoy yourself with ‘Aura’. This 1992 album is not all melody and lush beauty. There is a 9 minute tune called ‘Chaos’ that is rather dissonant but really jammy and together. Then there is the very disturbing ‘The Disillusionist’ that Kilbey really shakes you up with, the last 20 or 30 seconds of this piece sung a cappella. ‘Feel’ is great, the most melodic tune from the
album. ‘Kings’ is a staccato-guitared piece to throw you back in time, but with today’s instrumentation instead of lutes and flutes. ‘Mistress’ is the only tune I missed from my front table seat, but I still loved hearing it from the bathroom.

The evening finished with the very popular ‘Starfish’ album released in 1988, highlighted by ‘Destination’ the first song. The opening spacy stark single guitar notes slowly charm you into Steve Kilbey starting to sing the lyrics which include:
‘Our documents are useless or forged beyond believing/Page forty-seven is unsigned/ I need it by this evening/In the space between our cities a storm is slowly forming/ Something eating up our days/I feed it every morning/Destination destination’.

Then comes the great ‘Blood Money’ an all-time classic, and then ‘Lost’ all the way to ‘New Season’ and the final lovely wistful rocking ‘Hotel Womb.’

It was a wonder to be there, listening to what I think actually is the best music being made on Earth now – including electric guitars, if I might add that limitation. The music is almost classical. And the church played with vitality and joyous energy. If I don’t go to another concert for the rest of my life, this one could get me through…but I’d love to see them play again. Next big concert is supposed to be at the Sydney Opera House with a 70-piece orchestra, so sez Steve Kilbey. (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) Yes! This is what music is all about. the church love what they do, the music the make, the opportunity to jam, to make beautiful unexpected sounds and riffs and melodies, while loosening up your mind with their lyrics and singing. Do NOT miss the church on Tuesday in Atlanta! You’ll regret it when you
hear some of what was going on in the inevitable aftermath of internet exposure. See more at (and have a bitta listenin’)”

7:40 am – Conrad Miller

Concert review & photos: Showcase Live, Foxboro MA

http://www.prefixmag.com/photos/the-church-showcase-live-foxborough-ma-picsreview/ The Church at Showcase Live on Friday, February 19, 2011, Foxborough MA “A pretty convincing case could be made for The Church being the best Australian band, and that’s considering some stiff competition. Hard rock fans would cast votes for AC/DC, pop groups would be split between The Bee Gees and The Go-Betweens, and Nick Cave’s fronted enough interesting and varied projects to fall in any number of categories. Though the band would really only enjoy true widespread recognition via “Under The Milky Way,” they’ve been making consistently good to great music twenty-plus years on from the release of Starfish. For casual fans that lost track of the band after they left Arista in 1994, the amount of activity the band was responsible for could be surprising. For hardcore fans who never abandoned ship, it was more of a head-scratcher to try to figure out why the band’s profile had dropped so low, despite the proliferation of solid records. These fans were the ones who filled the venues during the Past, Present and Perfect tour, where the band would take on the unprecedented task of performing three entire LPs in a live setting. They chose wisely; the starting point would be their most record record, Untitled #23, the middle portion their under-appreciated epic Priest=Aura, and closing out they would duly acknowledge the record that brought them widespread recognition, Starfish. When a band plays newer material,especially one with a rich catalog from which to draw from, it can be construed as a desperate attempt to still appear relevant, whereas some audience members use the opportunity to hit the toilets or grab another beer. This was neither, and the record can safely sit among the stronger material of the past. “Deadman’s Hand” sounds like an insta-classic from the ’90s, with Kilbey’s bass lines sliding in and around […]

http://www.prefixmag.com/photos/the-church-showcase-live-foxborough-ma-picsreview/

The Church at Showcase Live on Friday, February 19, 2011, Foxborough MA

“A pretty convincing case could be made for The Church being the best Australian band, and that’s considering some stiff competition. Hard rock fans would cast votes for AC/DC, pop groups would be split between The Bee Gees and The Go-Betweens, and Nick Cave’s fronted enough interesting and varied projects to fall in any number of categories. Though the band would really only enjoy true widespread recognition via “Under The Milky Way,” they’ve been making consistently good to great music twenty-plus years on from the release of Starfish.

For casual fans that lost track of the band after they left Arista in 1994, the amount of activity the band was responsible for could be surprising. For hardcore fans who never abandoned ship, it was more of a head-scratcher to try to figure out why the band’s profile had dropped so low, despite the proliferation of solid records. These fans were the ones who filled the venues during the Past, Present and Perfect tour, where the band would take on the unprecedented task of performing three entire LPs in a live setting. They chose wisely; the starting point would be their most record record, Untitled #23, the middle portion their under-appreciated epic Priest=Aura, and closing out they would duly acknowledge the record that brought them widespread recognition, Starfish.

When a band plays newer material,especially one with a rich catalog from which to draw from, it can be construed as a desperate attempt to still appear relevant, whereas some audience members use the opportunity to hit the toilets or grab another beer. This was neither, and the record can safely sit among the stronger material of the past. “Deadman’s Hand” sounds like an insta-classic from the ’90s, with Kilbey’s bass lines sliding in and around the chiming guitars of Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper. The lilting “Pangaea” and gently swaying “Happenstance” gave way to the adrenaline rush of “Space Saviour” and the all-hands-on-deck of “Anchorage,” featuring their tour manager on backing vocals and stage manager trading bass lines with Koppes, who picked up Kilbey’s bass after Steve decided to prowl the stage unhindered by an instrument cord. The opening set clearly underscored the “Present” part of the tour name in a convincing fashion.

After a quick break and clothing change (Kilbey now wearing a striking skull print shirt), the band set sail into the dark and swirling waters of Priest=Aura, a record that aside from a handful of shows in Australia after its initial release never had much play in the live setting. This was the record that would be a transition point for the band; the label couldn’t figure out the right marketing angle to capitalize on the success of the prior two records, there was no obvious single (and releasing techno and ragga mixes of “Feel” as a single probably wasn’t the best decision in retrospect), and Koppes would leave the band before the next record was started. In short, what seemed to be a juggernaut eventually turned into a shuddering ride right onto the gravel shoulder. That said, both the band and fans have rightly regarded this record in a far different light, and it was a revelation to see the entire piece unfold. Koppes and Willson-Piper in particular are a totally underrated duo that create a seamless interplay, with the gauzy “Paradox,” languid “Swan Lake” and stately waltz of “Witch Hunt” a marked contrast to the dramatic theatrics of “The Disillusionist” or the whipping maelstrom of “Chaos.” “The Disillusionist” in particular was a high point of this set, with Kilbey convincingly selling the part with wild gesticulations as he danced and stalked his way across the stage, microphone in hand and freed from bass duties.

After the last intermission of the evening (and kudos to Tim Powles for playing drums and singing for three hours!), the most popular dish was served, piping hot. A side effect of playing complete records live is that the set list order dispenses of any surprises, but an unintended benefit was that “Under The Milky Way” was played early on, as I’m sure the band gets tired of that particular albatross, despite it being a top-notch song. Speaking of song orders, Koppes got a little ahead of himself by starting “Lost” with the killer riff of “North South East and West,” with Kilbey shooting him a WFT look and Powles joking that the New Zealand pressing of Starfish had that particular track order. When the track was played in its right spot. the blistering riff of Willson-Piper tore a hole in the air, and his solos during “Reptile” took that song to an entirely different level. Wrapping up with the plangent tone of “Hotel Womb,” it would be hard to think of this tour as anything other than a complete success across the board. The band’s tours of the last three years have seen them in great form (Kilbey shedding noticeable weight the last couple of years, and Willson-Piper taking his hirsute pirate look back a couple of levels), and they genuinely had a sense of enjoying the moment throughout the entire evening. Let’s hope that 2012 is as fruitful.” – Tim Bugbee

A Conversation with the church’s Steve Kilbey

MUSOSCRIBE: Bill Kopp’s music blog: features, reviews, interviews, essays and whatnot: Australian foursome The Church are something of an institution in their native country, and throughout their thirty-plus years together they have enjoyed worldwide success as well. Their commercial apex was undoubtedly the hit single “Under the Milky Way” from the 1988 album Starfish, but every one of their twenty-three albums has its high points. A perennial critics’ darling, the band has mounted tours both acoustic and electric. Their early 2011 US tour took them to the southeast, and I spoke with Steve Kilbey (bass, vocals, lyrics) about the current tour, the band’s longevity and much more. Part One Part Two

MUSOSCRIBE: Bill Kopp’s music blog: features, reviews, interviews, essays and whatnot:

Australian foursome The Church are something of an institution in their native country, and throughout their thirty-plus years together they have enjoyed worldwide success as well. Their commercial apex was undoubtedly the hit single “Under the Milky Way” from the 1988 album Starfish, but every one of their twenty-three albums has its high points. A perennial critics’ darling, the band has mounted tours both acoustic and electric. Their early 2011 US tour took them to the southeast, and I spoke with Steve Kilbey (bass, vocals, lyrics) about the current tour, the band’s longevity and much more.

Part One
Part Two

Live Video: the church on KEXP radio

Playing three full albums a night on their “Future Past Perfect” tour, the Australian psych-pop veterans The Church took time from their marathon performances to stop by KEXP for an abbreviated and stripped down sample from their three-decade long career. Bandmates Steven Kilbey, Marty Wilson-Piper, Peter Koppes and Tim Powles played a luscious set of songs including some rare renditions you’re unlikely to have heard before. Check out the videos from their acoustic session here: http://blog.kexp.org/blog/2011/02/23/live-video-the-church/

Playing three full albums a night on their “Future Past Perfect” tour, the Australian psych-pop veterans The Church took time from their marathon performances to stop by KEXP for an abbreviated and stripped down sample from their three-decade long career. Bandmates Steven Kilbey, Marty Wilson-Piper, Peter Koppes and Tim Powles played a luscious set of songs including some rare renditions you’re unlikely to have heard before. Check out the videos from their acoustic session here: http://blog.kexp.org/blog/2011/02/23/live-video-the-church/

the church featured on the ‘Stranded’ radioshow and podcast

the church are featured on ‘Stranded’, an Australian/Canadian music show and podcast hosted by Matt G. The February 14th show includes an interview with Steve Kilbey. Stranded 07 Feb 2011 Stranded 14 Feb 2011

the church are featured on ‘Stranded’, an Australian/Canadian music show and podcast hosted by Matt G. The February 14th show includes an interview with Steve Kilbey.

Stranded 07 Feb 2011
Stranded 14 Feb 2011

church interview: 69 Faces of Rock

http://www.69facesofrock.com/the_church_interview.html by Mark Kadzielawa

http://www.69facesofrock.com/the_church_interview.html

by Mark Kadzielawa

Interview with Peter Koppes : The Quietus

http://thequietus.com/articles/05653-the-church-interview The Past, Present & Future Of The Church: An Interview With Peter Koppes Ned Raggett , February 7th, 2011 09:18

http://thequietus.com/articles/05653-the-church-interview

The Past, Present & Future Of The Church: An Interview With Peter Koppes
Ned Raggett , February 7th, 2011 09:18

Archive: Official Newsletters Feb 2011

Archive: Newsletter 1st Feb 2011

the church Live on KEXP radio 90.3FM

KEXP presents an in-studio session with THE CHURCH! Live performance on The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters on Tuesday, February 8th at 12:00 pm PST! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=162360990480242 You can download a link from KEXP to your i-tunes and stream this in high quality.

KEXP presents an in-studio session with THE CHURCH!

Live performance on The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters on Tuesday, February 8th at 12:00 pm PST!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=162360990480242

You can download a link from KEXP to your i-tunes and stream this in high quality.

Concert Review in the OC Register’s Soundcheck : El Rey Theatre 2/2/11

http://soundcheck.ocregister.com/2011/02/04/the-church-wows-at-three-album-tour-kickoff/43450/ Once a band is tenacious enough to reach the 30-year mark, its creative output usually slows down significantly. Not the Church. From a steady stream of official albums and solo projects to art and books, members of the influential Australian quartet never stay idle too long. Last spring, the group’s career milestone was commemorated here by An Intimate Space acoustic tour, with setlists containing a song from every studio release, mainly performed in reverse order. Back Down Under in October, they were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame (equivalent to NARAS, which oversees the Grammys). More recently, longtime fans have been able to revel in Second Motion Records’ back-catalog reissue campaign, starting with the first four albums: Of Skins and Heart (1981), The Blurred Crusade (’82), Séance(’83) and Heyday (’86). All were remastered and now include rare photos and bonus tracks, plus guitarist/singer Marty Willson-Piper’s fascinating liner notes about the church’s history and recording sessions. The Michigan record label also put out Deep in the Shallows, a double-disc singles compilation. Four subsequent studio releases and a limited edition EP box set are expected in the months ahead. Next week brings White Magic, lead singer/bassist Steve Kilbey’s second collaboration with Martin Kennedy of Aussie electronic group All India Radio, arrives at music retailers. And this week the church launched its Future Past Perfect tour, a month-long electric counterpart to last year’s stripped-down outing, which kicked off Wednesday night at El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. (As a bonus, everyone in attendance received a free updated mini-souvenir program, something you don’t see very often.) While other groups might opt to perform an entire album or two over a multiple-night stand, the church chose to do three in one, each representing a different decade of its existence. “This is a world premiere,” Kilbey announced before the first hour-long set, covering 2009’s hypnotic Untitled […]

http://soundcheck.ocregister.com/2011/02/04/the-church-wows-at-three-album-tour-kickoff/43450/

Once a band is tenacious enough to reach the 30-year mark, its creative output usually slows down significantly. Not the Church. From a steady stream of official albums and solo projects to art and books, members of the influential Australian quartet never stay idle too long.

Last spring, the group’s career milestone was commemorated here by An Intimate Space acoustic tour, with setlists containing a song from every studio release, mainly performed in reverse order. Back Down Under in October, they were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame (equivalent to NARAS, which oversees the Grammys).

More recently, longtime fans have been able to revel in Second Motion Records’ back-catalog reissue campaign, starting with the first four albums: Of Skins and Heart (1981), The Blurred Crusade (’82), Séance(’83) and Heyday (’86). All were remastered and now include rare photos and bonus tracks, plus guitarist/singer Marty Willson-Piper’s fascinating liner notes about the church’s history and recording sessions. The Michigan record label also put out Deep in the Shallows, a double-disc singles compilation. Four subsequent studio releases and a limited edition EP box set are expected in the months ahead.

Next week brings White Magic, lead singer/bassist Steve Kilbey’s second collaboration with Martin Kennedy of Aussie electronic group All India Radio, arrives at music retailers.

And this week the church launched its Future Past Perfect tour, a month-long electric counterpart to last year’s stripped-down outing, which kicked off Wednesday night at El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. (As a bonus, everyone in attendance received a free updated mini-souvenir program, something you don’t see very often.)

While other groups might opt to perform an entire album or two over a multiple-night stand, the church chose to do three in one, each representing a different decade of its existence. “This is a world premiere,” Kilbey announced before the first hour-long set, covering 2009’s hypnotic Untitled #23. “We’ve never done this and never played some of these songs live before.”

“Or will again,” added a noticeably slimmer and better-groomed Willson-Piper, with a mischievous smile.

“Cobalt Blue” opened the nearly four-hour show on an ethereal note and immediately transfixed the seated audience. Willson-Piper quickly moved from one guitar to another and back again. “Deadman’s Hand” found Kilbey and drummer Tim Powles’ lush voices meshing superbly. “Space Saviour,” a slow chugging rocker, had all the musicians gradually building steam before ending in a noisy barrage.

Both Kilbey and Willson-Piper were in jovial moods. When one fan yelled “you kick ass,” the guitarist responded, “we try to do it more delicately these days.”

Tour multi-instrumentalist Craig Wilson provided airy keyboards for the subtle “On Angel Street,” during which Kilbey was quite animated, venturing to the front of the El Rey stage. Joined by female vocalist Tiare Helberg (a regular contributor on Church-related music) and a roadie on extra bass, the sad song “Anchorage” boasted a captivating, full-bodied sound. Kilbey used lyric sheets and dramatically waved them around while singing.

Following an intermission, the church returned for the second hour-long set, centered on 1992’s Priest=Aura, an esoteric collection that became a band and fan favorite despite modest sales.

This time, the music did all the talking. Audience members that provided polite applause before suddenly cheered loudly after Aura. Fittingly, floating ectoplasm images were projected on the backdrop. Guitarist Peter Koppes’ amazing whammy bar workout amid the triple axe attack on a psychedelic “Ripple” got an equally enthusiastic response (two guys behind me kept yelling “whoa” after every extended guitar solo).

Koppes also shined with some chiming tones and slide work on the poppier “Feel” while Willson-Piper shook his head and had fun while soloing. The cabaret vibe of “Witch Hunt” worked extremely well. A trippy take on “The Disillusionist” saw Kilbey using the lyric sheets again and providing one of the night’s most dramatic deliveries, robustly leading the sea-shanty chorus and ending with a poetic recitation. The crowd gave it a standing ovation.

Gradually unraveling songs are common from the church. The nearly 10-minute long “Chaos” — all claustrophobic sounds, sinister guitar effects and white noise — truly lived up to its title. Kilbey clutched his face in mock agony and fans cheered wildly. The set concluded with the instrumental “Film,” evoking a late-’80s Goth-rock mood.

Another half-hour intermission elapsed. Then it was time for what many Church followers had anticipated all night: 1988’s Starfish, the band’s biggest-selling album in America. It remains one of their strongest efforts, though Willson-Piper has gone on record with the opposite opinion; he writes that it engulfs you with “pure simplicity” in the tour program.

Kilbey’s understated vocals were nearly whispered during “Destination,” driven by Koppes’ searing leads and Willson-Piper’s inspired playing. The former used a spacey effect in place of the bagpipes on the signature hit “Under the Milky Way,” as the latter guitarist played a beat-up 12-string. The dreamy track still sounded transcendent and unique.

Seeing American currency displayed on the screen for an eerie “Blood Money” reminded me of its expert use in a Miami Vice episode; here, it sounded particularly sharp. The warm jangle enveloping “Lost” featured a brief lyric snatch from Springsteen’s “Backstreets.” Willson-Piper really proved his mettle amid the lightning-fast arpeggios in “North, South, East and West,” dazzling guitar work on the rocking “Spark” (for which he also ably handled lead vocals), an intense “Reptile” and smooth closer “Hotel Womb.”

All told, this was a brilliant show from the church. Hopefully they’ll film an upcoming tour stop for future DVD release.

– by George A Paul