Manshandies present SoftTigers @ Transit Bar(24/08/2007)

Wed 29th Aug, 2007 in Gig Reviews

The Transit Bar people really know what they’re doing. Their no door-charge policy, as well as a great city location, ensure that the place is never empty and that the gigs always have that energy that only a good crowd of punters can provide. Not to mention that they have had some fantastic acts playing there recently, and on Friday they played host to one of Canberra’s funnest club nights, Manshandies, with Sydney’s Soft Tigers being the guests of honour.

Upon arrival ex-Canberra lads Bum Creek, who now reside in Melbourne, were setting up. And boy, did they have some surprises in store. Anyone who went to any of their gigs a year or so ago, or grabbed a copy of their CD, will remember them essentially being a noise band, playing entertaining though meandering squalls of feedback and strange sounds. Not any more! Whilst they still retain a very experimental and atmospheric aspect to their music, it is now, in fact, music! Seeing these guys play actual songs was a trip, especially because they were really good. The rhythm section has finally made it’s presence truly felt, anchoring the sonic experiments to some kind of structure. Frontman/guitarist Trev was especially cool, wrangling some enchanting noises from both his guitar and his larynx. Though not derivative, Bum Creek are reminiscent of “Drum’s Not Dead” era Liars, which is a good thing. Keep an eye on these guys.

Manshandies founder RADGE then took over, getting the crowd into more of a party atmosphere as he stepped up to the decks. His short set was pure Manshandies: full of party tunes, dancing, and good dumb fun He opened with Dizzee Rascal’s brilliant Sirens and went from there through hip-hop, indie dance, baltimore and more, whilst some of the crowd danced and some chose to get a drink before the next band came on.

The next band, of course, were Sydney’s Soft Tigers. The crowd was made up both of fans, and people curious to see what the buzz was all about. The band made their intentions clear early on, with a wickedly clear and funky bassline leading precedings throughout the first few tracks, and there ain’t nothin’ wrong with a song that’s built around the bass guitar, as the kids shaking their shit down the front will attest. Their style is somewhat familiar, not too far away from a lot of the indie/electronica hybrid bands that have been popping up over the last little while, but they performed it with a passion and skill that was infectious. Their use of samples and eerie sound effects also set them apart somewhat. The track Mr Ice Cream proved to be a crowd favourite, mashing hip-hop and funk basslines to dance-inducing effect. The set was certainly entertaining but it didn’t really kick into gear until towards the end, where some very strange, droney space signal noises gave way to an awesome finale of gentle cooing and abrasive feedback. It was not a mindblowing performance, but it was very cool, and it definitely did what it set out to do which was get the kids dancing.

Overall it was a very fun night and it’s good to know that even though the Manshandies crew have all moved away, they haven’t forgotten that we Canberrans need to party too.