Inspiration: Gigs
This is page 1 of a 2 page entry
Created: Fri 28 Jan 2005 10:13
2004 was a great year for gigs in Melbourne. I went to my fair share of them, as usual. There was a nice blend of international bands that I had seen before, and those that I was checking out for the first time, and then there were the local acts, who, for the most part, held their own when put alongside the foreigners. I've already put some photos of the earlier ones up on this site, but it's finally come time for me to share my thoughts and images from the latter half of the year.
June saw the return of Sonic Youth, those alt-rock legends. The last time I saw them, they were doing half-hour Diamond Sea encores, which were enough to make your ears bleed for many days afterward. This time, they played a fair proportion of the stuff from their latest album (Sonic Nurse), as evidenced by the setlist. They're getting older, but they still rock the house. Oh yeah, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr opened the night. He basically just sat there strumming, and singing in that distinct vaguely off-key twang of his. I've never been a huge fan, and this did nothing to convert me. A pretty cool support nonetheless.
In early July, I headed on down to the Corner to check out mclusky, one of the bands in that elite lengthy-and-vaguely-hilariously-titled-albums gang. To begin this evening, local newies Blacklevel Embassy, or as I like to think of them, Brett-from-Ricaine's-new-band, took to the stage for much yelling and raucous guitar / bass / drums. You definitely don't see as many good old regular three pieces nowadays - even the ones who are essentially three pieces often bung a couple of extras up on stage (and checking out these guys' site now, it looks like they're recruited a couple of extras too), but on this particular night, it was three piece ahoy. Mclusky would have to be one of the more crazy bands I've seen of late. Their live sound is even more raw than the recorded versions, and they round this out by saying things that would embarass some guy who is quite proficient in swearing. They also performed some rather energetic moves, including severe head bopping from the guy who appeared to be wearing a neck brace thingy. That's one way to fix your neck, I guess. Looking at Mclusky's site in the present day, I notice they've since busted up. Ahhh well, it was great while it lasted. I'm glad I got to see them before it all fell in a heap.
Belle & Sebastian, though from a similar neck of the woods to the boys from Mclusky, are quite a different kettle of fish. I've been a fan of the delightfully fun B&S for a while now (I haven't yet resorted to stalking), and the prospect of seeing them live had me just a teensy bit excited. And they delivered, with a long, action-packed, and fun-filled show. When I was younger, I used to have a hat just like the one Stuart was wearing for most of the night, and I thought it looked pretty cool for the first couple of months that I had it, but one day I changed my mind, decided I hated it, and never wore it again. I wonder whatever happened to that hat.
Items of interest in the show included a cover of The Rolling Stones' Under My Thumb, done just because. Then, towards the end of the show, the band decided they wanted to play Lazy Line Painter Jane, not such a bad decision considering it's a top song, however, they didn't have anyone to sing the female part of what is essentially a duet. Not to worry, they decided to find an audience member willing to take part. At this point, I was worried. This really could end in tears. Never fear, though: it was a little piece of magic, as the girl who came up on stage did her part really well. I wonder what their plan B was if she was tone deaf. Stuart then asked whether there was anyone famous in the audience, and as it turned out, the girl whose photo was on the cover of Lazy Line Painter Jane was sitting towards the front. The band didn't know who she was at first, but once they figured it out, they had her up on stage and then backstage for chats. A very smile-inducing show.
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