A full year on the road is a scary proposition for most bands, but for The Drones it has become just another day at the office. Performing to sold out venues and receiving critical acclaim, the last six months has seen the band literally circumnavigate the world. This has included two huge tours of the USA, two tours apiece of both the UK and Europe and multiple festival appearances (including ATP in New York) on top of that. The reception overseas to both the bands current studio album “Havilah” and their live show has been extraordinary:
"What 'Havilah' does is jump up and down on the rotting carcasses of The Vines and Jet stabbing them again and again with a flag that says ‘Miles. Better. Than. You. Ever. Were."
NME
"Speaker-bleeding blues"
MOJO (4/5)
"Vocalist Gareth Liddiard is a songwriter of extraordinary power"
Time Out (5/6)
"An awesome proposition. Dirty and primal, tight and threatening...you need this band in your life."
Stool Pigeon (4/5)
Somewhere in the middle of all of this, The Drones made it home for an Australian tour last May, one show of which was the jam-packed opening night of The HI-FI Bar in Brisbane. The show was recorded and the band have just announced that “The Drones - Live At The HI-FI” will be released in stores Oct 1st as a ‘Limited Edition Live Bonus Disk’ accompanying any purchase of the band’s current studio album ‘Havilah’.
“The Drones - Live At The HI-FI” is a candid snapshot of a band at the peak of their powers. Throughout the course of their career, The Drones have carved themselves out a veracious reputation for their live shows. Indeed many have touted them as arguably the best live band in Australia. It’s claim to which multiple live reviews bear witness:
“It’s seriously no major statement of hyperbole or aggrandisement to suggest that maybe – just possibly – The Drones are not just currently the best rock band in Australia, but the best rock band on the planet today.”
Time Off Magazine
“Does that power and genius of a show from The Drones even need to be questioned anymore? Gareth Liddiard remains an undisputed master of inebriated (even when sober) hellfire… We don’t ever want you to change either.”
Rave Magazine
Also available as a stand alone download through iTunes, “The Drones - Live At The HI-FI” showcases tracks from throughout the band's career, stretching as far back as their first LP release in 2002. Highlights include; The Minotaur from ‘Havilah’, Shark Fin Blues from the band’s award-winning 2005 release ’Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By’ and River Of Tears, a powerful song penned by Australian Aboriginal activist and singer/songwriter Kev Carmody.
“The Drones - Live At The HI-FI” is available Oct 1st through ATP / MGM
Download the live version of 'Shark Fin Blues' here.
Or check out the new clip for the Kev Carmody cover 'River of Tears' that appears on the album, performed at the Cannot Buy My Soul concert at The State Theatre in January 2008.
1 comment:
Looking forward to this!
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