The Getaway Plan

The Getaway Plan were one of those bands that just seemed to have existed in my youth. Whenever I went to some sort of "heavier" music show they would always be there, opening, even though they weren't from Brisbane. The first time I saw them was in 2006, opening for From Autumn to Ashes were I recognized this song:

For you radio-listeners of that era, it actually got quite a bit of play on Triple J 5 years ago. From that point onwards they got a bit more alternative-rock, lost a few members, gained a few members, gained some popularity (apparently) and broke up.

Well like any band these days, you're not really ever broken up, are you? So it was not really a surprise when they announced they were back together, recording an album and playing shows. They were up for Big Sound a few weeks back, but they are about to head out on a full Australia tour. We'll have them stopping by the HiFi on November 23. It's 18+, with supports from the always good West Coast hardcore band Break Even.

Hipster Watch: Bigsound 2011

Hipsters love finding bands no one knows, yet are still good to listen to. Bigsound is Brisbane's answer to the South by Southwest festival. For a few days, the Valley is overrun by music everywhere you look. There's live music, there's workshops, there's speeches and it's basically everything you need to be in the music industry in one place. It sounds like the perfect place for a hipster to get the inside knowledge.

The best part for the average punters like you and me, apart from occasionally seeing a famous guest speaker, is the live music event. One ticket, for $55, gets you 80+ bands across multiple venues over 2 days. And the best part is, being a music convention, it's going to be the best of the up and coming bands in our country fighting for attention. No matter what, we, the punters, win. Check out the band list so far:

The Getaway Plan
Horrorshow
Calling All Cars
Emma Louise
Eagle & the Worm
Busby Marou
Trial Kennedy
Evil Eddie
Last Dinosaurs
Adalita
Big Scary
The Adults (feat. Shihad's Jon Toogood) (NZ)
The Sheepdogs (Canada)
Jonathan Boulet
DZ Deathrays
Bleeding Knees Club
Ball Park Music
The Medics
Avalanche City (NZ)
Stonefield
Jinja Safari
Owl Eyes
Boy In a Box
Damn Dogs (Feat. Chris & Mark from Jet)

Okay, granted, the Getaway Plan has been around as long as I've been going to gigs in Brisbane (if we forget when they broke up) but the rest is some of the best of Australia's new music. DZ Deathrays, The Medics, Calling All Cars, Jonathon Boulet, Ball Park Music and Trial Kennedy are getting me excited. I don't even know half of the bands there, but I'm sure it's going to be awesome.

If you want to find great new music before everyone else jumps on the bandwagon, head to this. Not to mention, it's great bloody value. It's happening September 7-9 at various venues around the Valley.

The Getaway Plan are back

The Getaway Plan are one of those Australian bands that I just used to see everywhere. No matter who was touring, they generally opened for them. In fact, the last times the Ashes was in Brisbane, I saw them for the first time, opening for From Autumn to Ashes and the Bled.

They became quite popular as a band playing a mix of emo and alternative rock stylings. Then a while back, they broke up. They got back together for a charity gig at the start of the year and it seems that they liked it so much that they are back as a band.

They'll be playing two shows on this tour, in quite big venues. Which is odd for me, because the biggest venue I ever saw them play before they broke up was Rosies as part of the Boomtown tour.

February 12, HiFi, 18+
February 13, HiFi, Under 18 Afternoon show

Check out their MySpace. It has my favourite song of theirs on it, If The Suspense Doesn't Kill Us, Something Else Will.