Hungry Kids of Hungary - 19 April 2013, The HiFi

w/ The Preatures, Them Swoops, Little Odessa

In 2010, the Hungary Kids of Hungary played the Hifi in support of their debut album Escapades. Over two years on and they return to this very stage to celebrate the release of their sophomore album You’re a Shadow.

Little Odessa opened the night with Them Swoops following soon after. Them Swoops have such an amazing showmanship, and have a rad live sound. They have the type of live show where all the songs have slightly different arrangements whenever you hear them. I love that in a band, because if you’re going to see a live show, you want more than just a play by play through recorded tracks.

The Preatures were freaking fantastic! The band played a 40min set however it felt like no time at all, they captivated me that much. I’d never heard anything from this band before, and shame on me. Fronted by Isabella and Gideon, they shared lead vocal duties each taking a half a set each. Isabella has such an interesting voice with so many colours throughout it, and Gideon sound like a deeper version of Jack Black. Take that whichever way you want. Their “new” song was probably my favourite of the set. Their tunes, a mixture of funk and rock ‘n’ roll, were well rounded and diverse enough to avoid that same-same feel which is ever present in Australian acts at the moment.

It’s amazing what a banner, a good man on lights, and an awesome sound man can make to an already stellar band. Hungry Kids of Hungary were out of this world tonight. With such simplistic production, it made the band look and sound so much more polished than previous gigs. They played through most of the tracks from the new albums, without leaving out the classics from their past. It made for a well-rounded set. There were never too many “slow” songs in a row which meant the vibe in the room was never lost.

“Scattered Diamonds” is a song where the band usually initiates the clap along in the bridge, however tonight, there was absolutely no need. The crowd took it upon themselves to get it started and partied like there was no tomorrow. For an encore, they played their cover of Tame Impala’s “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” which the lads played for Triple J’s, Like a Version and finished with “Coming Around”.

It’s not every day that an Australian band come out with a stellar follow up record. So many unfortunately disappear into the abyss, but the Hungry Kids have truly stepped up their game with this latest tour, with an exciting and promising future ahead. Go forth and be fantastic. Allons-y.