John Shand | Music & Other Spheres Posts

February 11, 2015 / Concert Reviews - Archive

The Basement, February 4 Among the many casualties of aging is the capacity for being surprised. From broken promises to broken records and from Mahler to Madonna one has seen and heard it all before. Perhaps the odd sunset and a straight-talking pollie may still do it, and in the…

February 1, 2015 / Concert Reviews - Archive

Sydney Festival, The Famous Spiegeltent, January 24 “I’m Rufino the Catalan Casanova,” says the man wearing the pinstripe moustache and rakish hat. “I’m not boasting,” he adds. “It’s just my name.” This would be the same Rufino who nearly drowned while making violent love in a dinghy during his time with…

January 24, 2015 / Concert Reviews - Archive

  The Aurora, January 15 If you closed your eyes when the sound reared up like a massive wave you’d swear it was an orchestra, or at least a band. In fact it was just two men playing acoustic instruments. But then George Xylouris (Cretan lute) is a member of…