Review: The Black Keys @ The Pyramid Rock Festival New Years Eve 2008

This is a guest post by Black Keys fan, Merlyn. Merlyn will be making regular contributions to the site in 2009

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There is a lot of hype around New Years Eve but the preliminary build up around this year was enough to give anyone shivers.

I remember thinking on my down to the Pyramid Rock Festival at Phillip Island, near Melbourne, Australia: “Can it actually be better than last years?”. Well, my question was not only answered, but sonically aired out, forgotten and thrown into the trash.

By whom you say? By The Black Keys. Which is funny because there is only so much to expect from 2 guys right? Wrong! Expectations become a thing of the past when these two take their instruments and take to repeatedly stomping and hollering.

You can tell these two just wanna rock, roll, scream and even stroll. Hell, they even pay a guy to introduce them. They say a quick “Hello…We are the Black Keys” and get to the groovin’. This is one band to see live let alone bring in the New Year with. It feels like a Greatest Hits show or something because the journey just didnt stop.

Working their way through a few crowd favorites like “10am Automatic”, “Thickfreakness” and the old blues traditional “Stack Shot Billy”. With an album catalogue as good as The Big Come Up, Rubber Factory and Magic Potion, you tend to forget that they just let their 5th album drop. Until, and this was a suprise to me, they start playing “Pyschotic Girl” to 7500 people who wanna see the new year. Mind blowing… Even the crowd controllers up front were singing along.

The ‘Keys were quickly told to wind up and as we count down into the new year, some what of a magic moment for me as I don’t think music would sound the same to me if it weren’t for the ‘Keys.

“HAPPY NEW YEAR!” – everyone screams and shouts till we’re all hugging and kissing. The crowd is a sea of miasmic euphoria. The ‘Keys kick back in and play more favorites – “Till I get my Way”, “Girl is on my Mind” and “I Got Mine”.

“Goodnight everybody – see you next year”, Dan hollers into the mic. They disappear to make way for Cut Copy. I make a hurried dash to the hill to receive a few happy new years phone calls. Along the way are some stoked New Years revellers in their moment of triumphant wealth of happiness and good company. Seems like the Black Keys were tailor made for such an event.

What better way to represent a festival experience than with a fuzzy camera phone image of the ‘Keys on stage.

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The Black Keys Australian Tour Dates 2009

The Black Keys have announced their 2009 Australian tour dates. You can buy Black Keys concert tickets from Love Police for all shows (Sydney, Byron Bay, Newcastle, Brisbane and regional areas) except for Melbourne. Melbourne concert tickets can be bought from Ticketmaster. Great to see them back so soon in Australia on tour following their June 2008 tour in support of the Attack and Release album.

The Palais Theatre in Melbourne is where I’ll be on January 11! Great venue. And guess who’s supporting? None other than Gomez and Dr Dog. Perfect.

The New Years Eve show at the Pyramid Rock Festival at Phillip Island, Victoria, (near Melbourne) has already sold out.

The Black Keys Australian tour dates:

29 December 2008
Fremantle Arts Center – Fremantle, WA, Australia

30 December 2008
HQ – Adelaide, SA, Australia

31 December 2008
Pyramid Festival – Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia – SOLD OUT

2 January 2009
Byron Entertainment Centre – Byron Bay, NSW, Australia

3 January 2009
Coolangatta Hotel – Coolangatta, QLD, Australia

4 January 2009
Lake Kawana Community Centre – Bokarina, Sunshine Coast, Australia

5 January 2009
The Arena – Brisbane, QLD, Australia

7 January 2009
Coffs Ex-Services Club

8 January 2009
Panthers – Newcastle West, NSW, Australia

9 January 2009
Luna Park – Sydney, NSW, Australia

10 January 2009
Waves – Towradgi, NSW, Australia

11 January 2009
Palais Theatre – St. Kilda, Melbourne, Australia

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The Black Keys to headline the Pyramid Rock Festival, New Years Eve 2008

It’s recently been announced that The Black Keys will head back to Australia in 2008 to headline the New Years Eve Pyramid Rock Festival that is held over 2 days from 30 December 2008 to January 1 2009 at Phillip Island (near Melbourne), Australia.

This is great news for Australian fans of the band who recently saw them on their June tour this year. This is the second year in a row the band have played the festival, so they obviously think it’s an alright kind of a place to spend their New Year.

There’s a great line up of bands scheduled for the festival. Methinks the organisers might have been reading my Black Keys dream post earlier this year when planning their bands for the festival (probably not, but hey I’m allowed to dream!).  I wrote that my ultimate gig would be The Black Keys supported by Fat Freddys Drop, maybe even doing a duet.  The festival organisers have gone one step further, however, and included Salmonella Dub and The Black Seeds on the bill as well! They are all such complimentary bands although different genres.

Ahh, so much to look forward to when you’ve got a wandering mind!

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