LeSuits - 20 January 2012, The Zoo

w/ Tin Can Radio, The Kamikazi Thunderkats, The Worriers

The four bands tonight have two things in common. Lots of brass and lots of hair. For their EP launch, LeSuits brought together a line up of stellar bands for a show that was more than a little weirdly, awesomely crazy.

Up first were rookies The Worriers. This three piece are a good little up and coming band for which tonight was their debut “recital”. They have lots of good ideas and their musical material is solid. One thing they do need is a bit of refining. But one has to start somewhere, and what better place to start than an opening slot for a band at The Zoo.

The Kamikazi Thunderkats were up next with some crazy blues-funk-jazz-reggae-craziness. The seven piece boasted two trumpets and a trombone to complement the eccentric frontman with harmonies and blasts that really gave something else to the set. Something quite memorable from their set was their cover of the “Arthur” intro theme tune in their own unique style. Bring back the nostalgic childhood memories! To top off their set full of weird and wacky brilliance, was the their final song about a zombie taco complete with costumed character engaging in a mock fight with the frontman. It certainly was a sight to behold.

My pick for the night was definitely Tin Can Radio. This underappreciated Brisbane band is sensational. If looking at crowd and their response to the music is anything to judge by, then the band have it in one. It is with this band that we start talking about the hair of the night. Each (male) member has hair longer than most girls and they were not afraid to utilise it. The bass player especially, his hair was beautiful. Musically, the band is faultless.

Each song has a different riff that is catchy beyond all reason with “Skeletons” being a particularly good example of this. There was, however, a certain lack of new material in the set. It has been quite some time since I heard the band live, and it seems they’re playing much the same material. They tell us that they’re going to the studio soon. I for one am very excited by this.

LeSuits. Where do I start? With the stuffed bear that “talked” to the crowd to open the set, the hoola-hooping groupie, or same hoola-hooping groupie now turned feather fan-waving striptease? It was a little over the top weird for my tastes. The band does boast a four-piece horn section comprising of two trumpets, a trombone and a baritone saxophone which does give the band a little something else, but for the most part it was all a bit all over the place.

They went from one style to the next with no real continuity in their set. When Rob on keys came forward for frontman duties, it was very reminiscent of a Jack Black wannabe. Strange and maybe a little misunderstood. Their music got a little lost for me with all the banter and craziness going on stage between the nine-piece. But you know what? Despite all of this, it was certainly a lot of fun. The crowd around me certainly thought so too.

Montpelier - 14 January 2012, The Zoo

w/ Charlie Mayfair, Kate & Max

It’s always a sad day when a band decides it’s time to call it quits, and for the band Montpelier, it’s quite sad indeed. Although they are not the most well known group in Brisbane, they do have a loyal little band of followers, and I won’t lie, I am one of them. I’ve been with them for most of their two and a half year stint, going to the majority of their Brisbane gigs.

The issue I’ve always had with the band is that while their songs are brilliant, they are just boring to watch on stage. Tonight, however, can I just make clear, was not your normal Montpelier gig. There was nothing boring about it. It was something more, something truly special.

Up first for the night were the wondrous Kate & Max, a duo who really are quite something. Between four guitars and a melodica, they created such beautiful folk-infused songs. I do admire a band who can be so comfortable sitting while playing a gig - it was like they were in a room a quarter of the size of The Zoo - but due to the social nature of tonight, it was a little hard to capture their raw essence, but you got the picture.

Here's something different for all those who have been to The Zoo! Remember that red hue that so often gleams from above as the default lighting colour? Thanks to Andrew Stone, of Montpelier fame, we had a stage that had some green lights! And blue! And white! There was even a little bit of purple/UV thrown into the mix. This makes me very happy. It doesn’t take much, just someone to flick a few buttons on a panel, but it makes all the difference!

Charlie Mayfair was up as the main support for Montpelier’s last hurrah. For a band that is usually quite folky and poppy, it was quite strange to hear everything bumped up so loud. Not that this was a bad thing - it’s been quite some time since I heard the band live, but it surprised me a little. They have certainly developed as a band and have definitely moved forward. No longer are they one of the bands that sound very similar on stage to what they do on record; they bring something else to the table. It’s very nice to see. 2012 is going to be a good year for Charlie Mayfair. It was strange to see Irena missing from stage tonight. Together with Hannah and Dave, their vocals work so well in harmony. However, they roped Greg from Montpelier in to cover what was missing, and it was a nice touch.

Although this was such a sad event because it marked the end of a band, it was such a great set from the band. They played for an hour and a half, showcasing almost their entire catalogue. Miss Hannah from Charlie Mayfair joined them on stage for “Harder Time”. It is quite a special song, truly beautiful. There were lots of old favourites from their debut EP, as well as many from their new EP, Feed the City, which the band were releasing this night also. I have mentioned that usually the band are a little dull on stage, but tonight was a complete one-eighty to what I have seen previously from the band; they were so engaging, and put everything they had into the set. It was a privilege to be there.

Vengaboys - 11 January 2012, The HiFi

w/ The Herbs, DJ Sammy Rowland

This must be the year of the 90s Revival. Vengaboys are touring Australia currently, and Aqua has announced that they are touring the country in March. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t expecting a spectacular show from the Vengaboys in their opening night of the tour at The Hi-Fi, and you know what? It was so bad it was good! If you’d come expecting quality and a serious musical performance, you were destined to be disappointed, but if you took it for what it was, you were blow away with awesomeness.

Let me start from the beginning. Upon entering The Hi-Fi, DJ Sammy Rowland was pumping out the 90s hits and creating one hell of a nostalgic dance party. Think Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, Blue, N*Sync, and pretty much any cliché 90’s hit you can think of. She made me chuckle quite a bit. Every time she got a hit the crowd loved she grinned like a small child.

After a brief close of the curtains (with the 90s dance party continuing with some Spice Girls hits), The Herbs took to the stage in their sequin-y glory. To say that it was a mood killer would be an understatement. The Herbs, for those who don’t know (don’t worry, I hadn’t heard of them either), are a Spice Girls tribute/re-interpretation band. This was Spice Girls as you’ve never heard before. Indie-synth-pop “goodness”. If you had heard this band in a setting outside a Vengaboys support slot, you would have thought “what the…” And as I looked around, there were still a lot of people thinking this. But I think they went with it the same way I did. They’re a support for the Vengaboys! They have to be ok, right? Right? For me though, it really didn’t suit the mood that the DJ had created and that the Vengaboys soon created.

Ten years out of the game is quite a long time, and to be able to come back form that is certainly an achievement. And for a band that built their career on less than ten hits, it makes it an even greater achievement. Picture this: Elton John, and the entire cast of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, covered it with sequins and glitter and throw it into the middle of Mardi Gras, and you know what? It still wouldn’t be as camp as this. My one issue with the set was the fact that they played for 35 minutes, and for their one encore song, they played “Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom” a song they’d already played in their main set. There were also a lot of their main songs missing from the set, and it would have been awesome to hear one of those songs instead of repeating something. Also, between songs, in their obligatory crowd banter, while it was friendly, it seemed very scripted, and a tiny bit insincere.

But really, who cares about all of this! It’s the Vengaboys!

Bluejuice - 8 January 2012, The Coolangatta Hotel (Gold Coast)

w/ The Aston Shuffle

As a Brisbane girl, there are not many venues where you can step out of a gig and walk straight out onto the beach. It was a bit of a novelty, a ridiculously fun novelty. The reason for this road trip to The Coolangatta Hotel was Bluejuice’s Sizzling costal tour. Teaming up with The Aston Shuffle certainly brought out one hell of a sweaty summer dance party.

Indie-electro-house rockers The Aston Shuffle are quite something. The duo brought a crowd, that was a little less than willing, on a journey that by the end of it had them, eating out of the palm of the artists’ hands. I haven’t had the pleasure of witnessing many artists from this genre live, so it was educational for me. To look at, there was a lot of leg popping to the beat as well as lots of head nodding. It was awesome! I love seeing musicians getting into their own creations. Music wise, the duo was tight. There was a perfect combination between the preprogrammed music and the live riffs and electronics they were manipulating. More to the point though, it is smart music that actually has brains behind its creation. My personal highlight of the non-stop set was their single “Start Again”.

What I should have mentioned earlier was the staging at the venue. Fluro tape enhanced with UV lights. Bluejuice, you’re genius. It looked incredible. So simple, yet the most effective staging I have possibly ever encountered. From the moment they bounced onto stage, Bluejuice never let the energy in the room die. On stage talked of prostitutes, cocaine as well as other shenanigans when two and two go together – you catch my drift. Some things to note: Jake is one of the most eccentric frontmen I’ve seen in a good long while. While swinging his fluro tape covered mic about, it few off, and mysteriously disappeared… I have no idea if it was ever found. Combine this with Stav’s antics also, and you have something truly hectic. Second thing of note: the backing vocalists had choreographed the entire set, so whenever you would catch a glimpse of them, they were doing some wacky dancing completely different to the last time you looked. It was strangely wonderful. But I think that’s what this band are all about.

What I really like about Bluejuice’s set tonight was the fact that they didn’t limit themselves to playing songs from their new album, Company. They delved back into their past with a whole bunch of songs from their second album Head of the Hawk, as well as a couple from their debut LP, Problems. Each of their songs retains the energy of the last, and that makes for one hell of a party. There was an abundance of crowd participation, and Master Stav made sure that this occurred on a regular basis.

What a way to kick off the year! This was truly an amazing gig. And what made it all the better was the fact that it wasn’t at a festival, it was something a little more intimate, but no less as outrageous.

Hey Geronimo - 22 December 2011, Oh Hello

w/ The Moderns, Argentina, Dunes

This lovely, rainy Thursday evening brought the Cobra Kai Chrismukkah party to Oh Hello. The festivities were celebrated though a diverse array of bands, as well as some liquid Christmas presents distributed by the venue.

First up for the night were Dunes, and to tell you the truth, the most interesting thing about the set was when Gotye's film clip for “Heart’s a Mess” was projected up on the side wall. It’s not that the band was bad, it was more that the sound was so mucky that you could distinguish nothing from a mash of sound. This made them sound so generic that it was a little bit painful.

I don’t know what was going on with the sound tonight, or who the sound guy was, but Argentina's set was the complete opposite to Dunes’. Everything was clearer and more defined, and it made all the difference. It probably also helped that the band had some really great tunes that were each unique in their own way, with no trace of generic material. It was interesting to hear the front man, Alex Ritchie, comment on how surprised he was to be playing for so many people. I can’t imagine why he said this! I do believe this new band are really something to watch out for!

With The Moderns, it was back to that mucky sound we had been privileged to in Dunes’ set. The Moderns are an interesting band. After hearing them a couple of times live now, I still can’t work out what niche their music fits into. There was lots of rock, a tiny bit of indie-pop (they probably won’t like me for saying that), some funk, and also some twelve bar blues. But there was nothing that really said to me 'this is what the band is all about'. Their cover of “Burning Down the House” is always a winner, yet is easily their best song. And it’s a cover. That’s not really the way it’s meant to be. With their final song, I thought I had finally discovered something of solidarity for the band. They played an awesome song utilising a twelve bar blues kind of form, but then mid song, they changed it up to a generic rock number! Why!? The song was so good, and then I lost all interest...

Hey Geronimo are nothing short of a brilliant new band. However, this venue, I believe, is not the place for them. The sound is bollocks! So, so bad. Having seen them only a couple of weeks ago at The Zoo, there was no comparison! Their songs were all amazing, but their harmonies were a little off tonight, due to the fact that after each of the first couple of songs they would say time after time, “more vocals on stage”. The sound was also a bit of a mush, however not as bad as some of the previous bands. This band are incredible, and given a decent venue, they will bring the house down!

All in all, a pretty decent gig. Despite the terrible sound, there was some amazing talent playing, and I am always pleased when there is something that leaves me wanting. This band tonight was Argentina. They are awesome. Look them up.

Rare Finds 2011 - 3 December 2011, The Zoo

Trouble with Templeton, Tinian's Boy, Kate Martin, Founds, Teleprompter, Hey Geronimo, The Dead Leaves, YesYou

There was something new and different around Brisbane on the weekend. It was called Rare Finds, and it was insane in the best possible way. Imagine: a dedicated team bringing together fourteen brilliant local bands to play at The Zoo across two stages. Well that’s exactly what this event was! The great thing about Rare Finds was that each band played a half hour set, but if you felt in the mood, you could catch a full set from one band, and then a half set from the band playing on the other stage. This meant you could enjoy a little something from every band... if you were OK with no down time that is. This is exactly what I tried to achieve.

I unfortunately missed Cub Scouts and Kate & Max but from what I hear they were pretty rad first up. I entered just as The Trouble With Templeton started on the Main Stage. The one man act put out some good, upbeat tunes, and this is an achievement for a guy on an acoustic guitar. I wanted to hear more, but instead I moved on to the Laneway Stage to hear some of Tinian’s Boy. I had heard so much about this band, but never heard their songs live. To tell you the truth, this was not the best set to hear them as a first time. Unfortunately, mid set, after a quiet introduction to one of their singles, the power shorted out, leaving the stage with no mics, no amps and no lights. Despite this, the frontman kept on singing, making light of the situation with some interesting lyrics. There were many distressed organisers trying to resolve the problem. After some awkward silence, the frontman got on the drums and played an epic drum solo. After the power came back on, the band finished off their set, making the best of a bad situation. Luckily, this didn’t happen again during the night.

Back on the Main Stage, Kate Martin lit the room with her stunning vocals. The beauty is in her simplicity and lightness. The songs are heartfelt and their meanings explicitly clear. Her backing band complemented her very well in their soft spokenness, however, the harmonies between the keys player and Kate herself, I felt were a little off in places though. Her latest single “Apples” leads the singer on a more mature songwriting path. This is a good thing. When Kate finished it was back to the Laneway Stage to catch the end of New Manic Spree. These guys grooved out hard, especially bass player Gwen Warnick. She was hardcore. Their song structures are really interesting to listen to. Very different to other bands I have heard in some songs, but in others, quite the norm. I don’t know what to make of this band. All I know is that they were fun to watch, which is always a good thing when you’re watching a band.

I’ve heard the name Founds before, but actually had no idea what they were all about. And you know what? They blew my mind. Absolutely blew my mind. First off, the singer was sensational. Her sweet vocals soared so effortlessly over the rest band, who weren’t holding anything back, and carried the group. Also the harmonies between the keys player guy on bass guitar were exquisite. Secondly, I usually comment on how bands have useless members. In this band, everyone had a part. The violin player, the keys player, and even the extra floor tom the lead singer played on occasion. I can’t adequately describe just how much this band surprised me with their talent. I think I have found my new favourite Brisbane band. Back at the Laneway Stage, Teleprompter just didn’t do it for me. It’s hard to follow something that has blown your mind. They did have a good rock feel going on, and I do appreciate that. I didn’t stay long, as I wanted a good spot for my pick on the night Hey Geronimo.

This band is the biggest mish-mash in Brisbane at the moment. The band consists of: Pete and Rosco from Blame Ringo, Greg and Andrew from Montpelier, and Tony from The Boat People. Awesome much? In the first song, a “country ballad” as they called it, it was interesting how each member sang lines of the verses in conjunction with singing the chorus’ in harmony. Not many bands do this, but I think more should. It was clear the Pete on guitar had main frontman duties, but this didn’t stop Greg and Rosco having songs of their own also. This band is insane! Too much fun for one stage! I found myself grinning like a fool as they played, I just couldn’t help myself. They have retained the Blame Ringo feel, but have stepped up the quality of the music. “Why Don’t We Do Something” their latest single, with the video clip that converts iPhone games into real life, was stellar, and just too much fun! They do a bit of everything. Including rap. Go figure. For me, easily the highlight of the night.

I decided to chill for a bit and wait for The Dead Leaves down on the Laneway Stage. I really like the band on record, especially frontman Matt Joe Gow’s vocals, however, now that I’ve seen them live, I am a little disappointed. They are exactly the same in front of you as they are on record. The same inflections in the vocals and everything. It was eerie. I do like this band, but they were just a little boring to watch. It’s good when a band is a little raw on stage, or not perfect. It’s makes them real.

Last up for the night were YesYou with their first ever Headline show. These guys were definitely the most diverse of the night. “The Half of It” the bands’ single, featuring and co-written by James O’Brien from The Boat People, certainly does not sum up this band. They are so much more. Performing along side the due was Miss Tara Simmons. The song that had been co-written with the lovely songstress was a 180 flip from the collaboration with James. And everything else, well it went from one feel to the next. It was pretty rad.

This night was very interestingly awesome gig. It had the likes of Kate Martin and Founds along side that of Hey Geronimo and YesYou. Such a diverse array of bands brings in all types of people, and that’s what made the even so successful. Kudos to the team at Rare Finds, this is the kind of something I want to see more of in Brisbane in 2012.