We Are Scientists and Ash fulfil their mutual desire for 1) "far too many guitars on stage (3 guitars and 2 basses) and 2) "a band with 100 singers" as they take to the stage together after their own respective sets at Sydney's Metro Theatre to rip through a barnstorming cover of Weezer's Only In Dreams.

Watch here and turn it up!

If you came to the world of Glen Hansard late, perhaps via his and Marketa Irglova's 2008 Oscar win for Best Original Song with "Falling Slowly", you might be forgiven for thinking his songwriting pallete runs merely the course of oftentimes intense, tremulous declaritives.

Long-time aficionados, however, know The Frames can bring the rock with the best of them. And then some.

They also know that The Frames are one of the greatest live bands you will ever see. To see them for the first time playing to a home crowd, or a transplanted Irish one as is the case with this gig we filmed at Sydney’s Metro Theatre, is simply, well, a revelation. Not so much a gig as a communal gathering of acoustic acolytes determined to sing every word of every song at the top of their lungs in mass unison. A very real congregation, then.

During the two hours or so The Frames play, there’s a journey to be taken. Hansard is your conductor in all senses of the word. He takes your fare and takes you there. He orchestrates the route as he conducts the energy of his audience and channels it back tenfold through the PA. And every now and again he’ll unleash a song of such raw emotion that you can only succumb to the sentiment, raise your hands in the air and join in, pentecostal style.

The best of these is arguably the rousingly anthemic “Revelate”.

Ostensibly a song of simple regret and a plea for redemption, the insistent, staccato chant of the rhyming couplets drive the verses towards an explosive chorus that is as big as anything fellow countrymen U2 have ever written. Worth noting too is the extraordinary playing of violinist Colm Mac Con Iomare which elevates the song to another level entirely.

The version they played at this Sydney gig is as good as any you’ll see or hear. With the unlikeliest of intros to what he’s about to ignite, Hansard riffs off Australia's own Dale Kerrigan character from The Castle, the delight evident in his cheeky countenance. Then, with the briefest of count ins, we’re off and running.

Turn up your speakers and watch “Revelate” and the whole Sydney show HERE

What’s more, when you register with Moshcam, you can download a free video and mp3 of the track.

Palanquins, pachyderms, concubines, sequins and silk. And that's just the first verse.

As someone who starts most days with The Infanta blasting from the stereo in order to shake the cobwebs and head once more into the breach, it's hard to overstate the excitement of filming The Decemberists' recent Sydney gig at The Metro. (Let's gently put aside the fact that they did not play that song live, and move swiftly along. Disappointed? You have no idea.)

Fans are drawn to a band like The Decemberists for a multitude of very personal reasons. While they do not often speak directly to the human condition, they sweep us along with such an array of characters, so richly drawn and acutely observed, that we feel enmeshed in the fabric of their lives, which in turn reflect on our own experiences.

Musically, whether snared by the rich, faux-medieval hooks or rousing chamber pop choruses, the incredibly dense, multi-layered narratives of Colin Meloy's lyrics or just the downright soul-stirring rhythm section that constructs crescendos like no other, this is a band that has carved out a unique place in people's hearts.

And if all that isn't enough, they do a brilliant cover of The Go-Betweens 'Bye Bye Pride'!

WATCH NOW!

They may have stepped into the wider critical spotlight with the release of their eighth studio album, Merriweather Post Pavillion, but when it comes to their live show, the Maryland crew prefer to keep us resolutely in the dark. Of course this makes shooting a gig more than a little problematic.  No matter. Because through the lacey blackness on stage, punctuated here and there by the occasional flash of fluorescence, emanates a noise so assuredly unique, so compellingly complete, that all you can do is close your eyes and let it carry you off to whatever fantastical place it is that produces stuff this good.

So sure, take a look at the gig, there's some nice moments that let you know what it's like to see a band at the peak of their powers. But above all, turn it up and let this splendid wall of sound break over you and insinuate itself into your memory forever.

WATCH NOW!

Paul Hannigan

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It was a wild few weeks in Sydney leading up to Christmas and the Moshcam crew were out in force to capture all the action at some of the hottest gigs in town.

First up were the wild mountain crew from Oregon, Blitzen Trapper, and their glorious folk-infused harmonies.  If you’re not howling like a dog by the end of this set you haven’t listened to their latest album Furr nearly enough.

Hot on their heels came UK pop-punk legends The Buzzcocks, who proved they still put most of today’s youngsters to shame when it comes to minor scaling chords and majorly scathing lyrics.

Next up was Japan’s formidable Mono, who took us on a mind-blowing excursion through a world where the sonic landscape is elegiacally majestic.

If some lighter relief was in order after that, we couldn’t have hoped for a merrier saviour than the inimitable master of pith, Jarvis Cocker, formerly of Britpop saviours Pulp. He showcased a supremely entertaining set of solo material and, as is his wont, the occasional bon mot.

If you are of a certain vintage you may well remember Sydney Acid jazz stalwarts Skunkhour and their unique brand of live hip-hop. This reunion show got a lot of live circuit veterans off their armchairs and thrilled a whole new crowd at what proved to be a very funkalicious affair.

Call it what you will: gangster be-bop or rock with a little roll, the post-swing shenanigans of LA’s Royal Crown Revue will leave you both breathless and happy. So push back your chair, throw on your zoot suit and whisk the nearest person onto the dance floor. Especially if you are at work.

We were delighted to film our next act for the second time in as many years. That supremely flamboyant boy genius Patrick Wolf waltzed back to the Metro and delivered a stunning lesson in perfect pop. Beneath the bedazzlement there’s some real lyrical heft going on, which promises longevity to this charismatic crooner’s career.

Next off the tarmac came Jet. You have to hand it to them, the boys have moved on from the hype of Are You Gonna be My Girl and have nailed their live show. Hot on the heels of a new album, with this set they prove they are the standard bearers of the new classic rock sound.

Next month looks equally exciting. Already booked in for shoots are Future Of The Left, Temper Trap, The Decemberists, Polar Bear Club, The Necks, Isis and The Saw Doctors.

See you in the pit!

The inimitable master of pith, Jarvis Cocker, formerly of Britpop saviours Pulp, regaled a sold out Metro Theatre with this supremely entertaining set of solo material and, as is his wont, the occasional bon mot. WATCH NOW!

It takes a wild mountain nation to hold back the Oregon folk rockers who played a sublime set drawing heavily from the last two albums.

The Pop Punk supremos breezed through The Forum and showed just how effortless great hooks can sound. Playing their first two classic albums back to back proved a rare treat for punk-starved ex-pats and new fans alike.

To call a Dwarves show ‘lively’ would be severely under reaching. The trailblazing shock punk pranksters never fail to bring it live. Watch the mayhem here.