Alasdair Belling

Sydney

🥁 and ✍| Cadet at @NewsCorp | Past bylines at SMH, The Australian, Mixdown, Music Feeds, Rolling Stone Australia etc. | Cricket, Jesus, Death Metal 🏏✝️🤘

Articles

Live Review: Parkway Drive @ Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

2 weeks ago | themusic.com.au | Alasdair Belling

More Parkway Drive There’s a moment in Metallica’s landmark live album with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, 1999's S&M, where the opening instrumental The Call Of Ktulu segues into Master Of Puppets in a sonic explosion, and it becomes apparent that this experiment – combining classical music with thrash metal – really works.
Live Review: Sigur Rós With The Sydney Symphony Orchestra @ Sydney Opera House

1 month ago | themusic.com.au | Alasdair Belling

More Sigur Ros Sigur Rós fans have spent far, far too many hours on chat boards and Reddit forums discussing whether the Icelandians are a “rock” band or not. Regardless of the answer (amuse yourself with one of those threads here), what’s certain is that, when backed by a full orchestra, it becomes clear that the “rock” side of their sound isn’t what’s drawn their loyal legion of fans this side of the millennium.
Live Review: Good Things Festival Sydney 2024

Dec 7, 2024 | themusic.com.au | Alasdair Belling

Heavy music festivals in Australia will always exist in a parallel universe. If every other major festival in the country went broke due to high insurance premiums passed onto consumers at the box office (not to mention - whisper it - a lack of talent in the lineups), it wouldn’t matter for heavy music fans; the heavy festival would still draw upwards of 20,000 punters.
Live Review: Heilung @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney

Nov 10, 2024 | themusic.com.au | Alasdair Belling

More Heilung You know you’ve arrived at a slightly abnormal gig when people on the street are stopping to photograph the antlers on the punters queuing for doors. Thus began my evening attending a Heilung ritual—the second of two sold-out nights at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. The Scandinavian “amplified history” trio of Christopher Juul, Kai Uwe Faust and Maria Franz have just announced a hiatus for 2025 - taking cues from “shamans who rest” - so tonight's affair felt like a victory lap of sorts.
Live Review: Teenage Wrist @ Mary’s Underground, Sydney

Aug 4, 2024 | themusic.com.au | Alasdair Belling

More Teenage Wrist A lot was “underground” about Teenage Wrist’s first Sydney show. For starters, The gig was at a venue that was literally called Mary’s Underground, with a small but enthusiastic crowd descending below the streets of the CBD to watch a band continue the distinctly underground legacy of shoegaze and punk rock.
SINGLE: Jazz Church

Jul 7, 2024 | undeceptions.com | Alasdair Belling

Jazz – like Christianity – is steeped in a history of tradition and conversation. The church can learn something from it. Jazz is a genre of music with steeped in tradition, culture, and most importantly, improvisation. According to some, the church can learn a few lessons from this wonderful art form.
Bring Me The Horizon, Oli Sykes and the Next Gen of the genre

Jun 18, 2024 | mixdownmag.com.au | Alasdair Belling |Lewis Noke-Edwards

Oli Sykes is relaxed. Sitting in a hotel room in Zurich, he calmly talks about how beautiful the surrounds will be for his band’s upcoming headline performance at Switzerland’s Greenfields Festival.
SINGLE: Cancel Culture

Mar 10, 2024 | undeceptions.com | Alasdair Belling

At the heart of cancel culture is a desire to combat injustice, and expose flaws within society. This is a good thing … but as recent history has shown, there is a lack of forgiveness at the heart of the movement. This is where Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing believes Christianity can help. Check out these extra links from the showCheck out this fascinating explainer on the history of cancel culture, courtesy of the New York TimesSingapore is toying with a law that puts limits on Cancel culture.
a chat with Slipknot's Clown

Feb 20, 2024 | mixdownmag.com.au | Alasdair Belling |Lewis Noke-Edwards

Words by Alasdair Belling The time is winding down on my chat with Shawn Crahan, AKA “Clown”, the founder and artistic director of Iowan metal juggernaut Slipknot. For nearly half an hour we’ve chatted Knotfest, Rick Rubin stories, and how great French metallers Gojira are. But with the clock ticking down there’s one more important thing to ask. “Any updates on who the new drummer is?”Silence. Is this the end of the interview?
Live Review: Blind Guardian @ Metro Theatre, Sydney

Feb 11, 2024 | themusic.com.au | Alasdair Belling

Blind Guardian (Source: Supplied) More Blind Guardian Jokes about The Silmarillion provoke gales of laughter. Anecdotes from novelist Brandon Sanderson’s high fantasy series The Stormlight Archive novels are met with roars of enthusiasm. No, it’s not Comic-Con; it’s a Blind Guardian gig in 2024.