|
Thomas Leitch Memorial Hall - Fri Apr 11
Like a cross between a guerilla gig and a house party, tonight’s Supper is a friendly local outdoor gig featuring a wonderful backdrop of Bardon’s lights and Mt Coot-tha. Under an awning at the back of Red Hill’s Thomas Leitch Memorial Hall, people are slowly arriving as A Thousand Apologies begin to play. In three-piece mode (they’re missing a member tonight), ATA ply a solid alt-rock grunge sound, somewhere between Sugar and Screaming Trees. It’s also the beginning of volume concerns that will affect the event throughout the night.
Next up are trio Art Of The State, featuring some dynamic alt-rock & roll full of catchy hooks and driven by an awesomely tight rhythm section. It’s a textbook set of rock tunes, and warms the crowd up nicely for the very different musical approach of the next act.
Perth’s Superengine, whose six members and variety of instruments fill up the playing area to capacity, begin with an extended instrumental jam that broadcasts their scope immediately. With xylophone, trumpet, trombone, synths, five-vocal harmonies and more, Superengine perform virtuoso jazz-pop in the vein of Dots & Loops-era Stereolab – balancing pop hooks and sweet vocal sounds with fluid arrangements and an ever-changing dynamism. It’s enough to inspire part of the crowd to adorn themselves with pastel children’s stools as headgear (the venue doubles as childcare during the day), but the arrival of the police – who report that noise complaints have been coming from two suburbs away – means that Superengine play their final two songs, including single Trainride, at a reduced volume. Thankfully they don’t suffer from it, and finish up having proven themselves a band to watch closely.
Moving the party indoors, impossibly young Melbourne three-piece The Super Happy Fun Band begin playing an energetic type of nu-post punk, equal parts Klaxons, the Rapture and Radio 4 – all shouty vocals, synth stabs and danceable percussion. The three boys are clearly able, but are perhaps held back slightly by their obvious influences. Once they find their individual voice though, they’ll probably be unstoppable.
Overall it’s a very enjoyable night in the inner suburbs – a gig with an affable, welcoming feel in an unusual location, and while it might not happen again soon, Brisbane could definitely do with more events like this.
TOPHER HEALY
|
| Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged. |
|
Be first to comment on this article
