Latest news with #Northcote
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Cloud Control review – Australian 2010s indie darlings reunite for a joyfully nostalgic tour
'We've been on a real nostalgia bender in the lead-up to this,' Heidi Lenffer tells a sold-out Northcote theatre. She and her band, Cloud Control, are not alone in that. Anyone who was interested in Australian indie music in the 2010s probably came across the Blue Mountains quartet: Lenffer on keys, percussion and vocals, her brother Ulrich on drums and backing vocals, Jeremy Kelshaw on bass and backing vocals, and Alister Wright on guitar and vocals. For almost a decade they were darlings of the scene, releasing three albums, supporting big-ticket international bands including Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend, living overseas for a spell, even having a song on the Magic Mike soundtrack. Then, at the end of 2018, they went dark. So to attend a Cloud Control show in 2025 feels like a trip back in time – founding bassist Kelshaw, who left the band in 2015, returns for this tour, too. It's a homecoming for good reason: it's been 15 years since they released their Australian Music prize-winning debut Bliss Release and, as is the way of the nostalgia tour, they're playing it front to back. Cloud Control's musical evolution was fascinating to follow. Bliss Release has undeniable hints of the 'stomp clap hey' style of music that was ubiquitous at the time: hand claps, tambourines, whoops, sweet boy-girl harmonies. It's a sound that became a cliche but Cloud Control offset some of the genre's more twee aspects with esoteric lyricism and whip-smart songwriting. Their subsequent albums, 2013's Dream Cave and 2017's Zone, each stepped further into experimentalism, flirting with psychedelia and even electronica. The songs were always buoyed by the excellent vocal duo of Heidi Lenffer and Wright. On the night, Bliss Release is sandwiched between two mini-sets of songs from the latter albums. It perhaps would have made a little more sense to start from the beginning, so that trajectory and development would be more evident in real time. But their sound is instantly transportive. The band is incredibly tight and there's no hint that it's been years since they've played together. The Pavement-esque fuzz of Rainbow City sounds great live, with almost shouted lyrics melting into harmony – a gorgeous contrast of textures. There is a certain charming naivety, or earnestness, to Bliss Release now – both in comparison with the band's later albums and with age. But they inhabit it with joy and that same precision, with a dash of ramshackle energy. Wright constantly bounces around the stage and, as they often did back in the day, they insert a rapped verse from the Butthole Surfers' Pepper into one of their earliest singles, the hymn-like Gold Canary. There are subtle changes in instrumentation: on the haunting Ghost Story, Kelshaw puts the bass down to tap drumsticks against a guitar case for an extra layer of percussion, and the sunny This Is What I Said has a hint of distortion this time. Some things remain the same, including Kelshaw's leaping basslines and the band's signature use of vocals as harmoniser, instrument and percussion. The effect is often mesmerising, as it always was. The slower points of the album, such as the acoustic Hollow Drums, slightly drop the energy – but, as Wright says, 'We're playing by the rules.' It's a chance for his strong vocals to be front and centre, as is Just for Now, which has some of his most beautiful harmonies with Lenffer. When they dip into the rest of their back catalogue, Cloud Control's sound immediately becomes more cavernous and expansive. The euphoric Scar is a highlight, with vocals soaring above busy keys. There's a false start for the synthy Treetops but, once it's rolling, it's Lenffer's moment to shine – and she does. The night is capped with the title track from Dream Cave, in which Wright's vocals are loud and raw, cracking with emotion. It all feels like a celebration of one of Australia's finest bands – a belated victory lap. The members of Cloud Control have their own projects now, musical and otherwise (Lenffer gives a shout-out to her fellow parents of kids under five). But this is where it all began and the music is evergreen. It feels lovely to return to it in the live space – even if it's just for now. Cloud Control are performing Bliss Release in Margaret River on 6 June, Fremantle on 7 June, Morton, NSW, on 14 June and Sydney on 20 June
RNZ News
24-05-2025
- RNZ News
Police swarm to incident in Northcote liquor store
Photo: RNZ/ Ella Stewart Police are responding to an incident at a block of shops in Auckland's Northcote. An RNZ reporter at the scene on Pearn Crescent said at least eight police cars could be seen outside Northcote Liquor, and about 15 police were working at the scene, at about 8pm on Saturday night. RNZ understands at least one person has been arrested, while police were still confirming what had happened. The road was cordoned off, but was reopened shortly after 8pm, and a crowd had gathered near the shops. A police spokesperson said no one had been hurt at the incident, and no firearms were involved. Photo: RNZ/ Ella Stewart Photo: RNZ/ Ella Stewart Photo: RNZ/ Ella Stewart Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
24-05-2025
- RNZ News
Shops and road blocked off as police respond to incident in Northcote
Photo: Police are responding to an incident at a block of shops in Auckland's Northcote. An RNZ reporter at the scene on Pearn Crescent said at least eight police cars could be seen outside the shops, and about 15 police were working at the scene, at about 8pm on Saturday night. RNZ understands at least one person has been arrested. The road has been cordoned off. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
18-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Northcote's $150m Elevation modular apartments near completion after delays
Northcote's new 183-unit Elevation modular apartment project from Vietnam is nearing completion, a boss forecasting finishing by December. 'We're behind time by probably a year,' says Alistair Sawer, Ho Chi Minh-based chief executive and founder of developer and importer TLC Modular. He cited many reasons for that delay at the
News.com.au
10-05-2025
- News.com.au
Dramatic moment three fishermen rescued from sunken boat at Barwon Heads, Victoria
Three men have been dramatically rescued by police after their boat sank while fishing at a popular tourist spot in Victoria's west. The trio – including two Northcote men, 37 and 41, and a 29-year-old man – were on a fishing trip on a fibreglass boat at Barwon Heads near Geelong on Friday morning. After they finished fishing at about 7.20pm, the men tried to return to shore when their 5.5m boat overturned. 'All three men, only one of which was wearing a life jacket, were thrown into the water,' Victoria Police said in a statement. The skipper called a family member for help, who contacted emergency services. The police Air Wing were able to locate the trio in the water about 40 minutes later. Dramatic footage showed the men waving their hands in the air as they clung onto the capsized boat, trying to flag down the Air Wing. After locating the trio, police guided Life Saving Victoria volunteers to their location, who were able to safely pull the three men from the water. They were taken to hospital for observation. 'Water Police will investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident,' the statement read.
