The Long Blondes, New Rulesfor Boats @ Club Capitol,Perth (7/9/2007)

Fri 10th Aug, 2007 in Gig Reviews

The pressure of expectation can be daunting. Bands that tour the globe on the back of just one album usually go on either to be something special or to drop off the radar very quickly. And in today’s fast-paced music biz, most bands are well aware of that. So with The Long Blondes making their Perth debut on a Tuesday night with one album and a handful of singles under their collective belt, this was always going to be a challenge.

As support act New Rules for Boats kicked off, the number of punters in the venue indicated that midweek gig syndrome had reared its ugly head. This was reflected in the looks coming from keyboardist Ben Golby, who, despite normally providing the heart and soul of the band’s performances, looked as though he’d rather be at the bar. They soldiered on though, and while Golby was unnaturally placid, vocalists Sean Pollard and Miranda Pollard and drummer Joe Derwort were more lively and animated than usual, seemingly enjoying not being the centre of attention. Though there was time for old favourites like Not Impressed, it was material from the recent Skips On My Record EP that showed the band’s full potential, with relatively new bassist Dan Grant coming across as more at home, while Miranda delivered her vocals with the kind of confidence she had lacked in the past. It was Sean who scored the most kudos though, admitting he had placed Gwen Stefani (playing across town at the Burswood Dome) on the guestlist. Well done.

Nobody was really sure what to expect from The Long Blondes, apart from a repackaging of the tracks from Someone to Drive You Home, their 2006 debut album. By the time the band played their first note, a respectable crowd had moved into the venue and, although there was still plenty of room for dancing, it was a relatively good showing for a Tuesday night. Predictably, the opener came in the form of Lust in the Movies, the opening track from the record. Though the front few rows had no trouble spitting the words back at frontperson Kate Jackson, punters back at the bar spent those moments trying to figure out whether there were, in fact, any long blondes in the band.

Following Lust in the Movies though, it seemed as though Sheffield’s second buzz band enjoyed playing to a relatively unfamiliar crowd, playing new song Guilt when they could easily have switched to autopilot. As the disco ball came down, the band’s Undertones-influenced indie-pop made way for a more danceable form of indie with a touch of new wave. And throughout, it was Jackson who was the centre of attention, pairing her dominating stage presence and unrivalled command of melody to make every man want her and every woman want to be her. There was also time for a mid-set appearance from B-side Five Ways to End it, and a new track introduced as I’m Going to Hell, toning down the strong Someone… flavour of the remainder of the set.

Like most bands with one album and a smattering of hits, the five-piece kept their best tricks up their collective sleeve until the end. Ending the main bracket of songs with Giddy Stratospheres, Emma Chaplin (keyboards, guitar), who had until then hidden behind simplistic parts and filled only the role of eye candy, and bassist Reenie Hollis, who stood relatively motionless stage left for much of the set, came out of their respective shells the give the tune an irresistible three-pronged vocal attack. After wrapping up not even close to an hour on stage with Once and Never Again and still with a couple of hits still left unplayed, there was bound to be a wag in the tail. Again, it was no surprise to see a refreshed band emerge several minutes later for Swallow Tattoo and Separated by Motorways – surprise surprise, the two songs that drew the biggest cheers and prompted the loudest sing-alongs of the night. Predictable, yes, but as the crowd’s smiles reflected right back off the five band members’ faces, you couldn’t really fault them for making the most.