It was the first gig of a thirteen date punisher of a rock stomp around the country in September – October and the punters were primed for what they knew would be a great show. Word on the street echoes of inspired performances from both acts at recent festivals and coveted support slots, so the energy was high and there was a decent crowd milling as the night’s front runner, Bright Red, took to the stage.
Every now and then you turn up early for a gig and thank the great rock god in the sky that you did because the little-known support act just blows you away. Case in point: Bright Red.
Three sexy rock chicks in matching leopard print on the axes out front with a boy on the kit behind, Bright Red delivered powerhouse grunt that transcended any reference to girlie-rock alla The Spazzy’s or even The Donnas and pushed them straight into the league of early PJ meets Hole meets the grrrls from L7 with tinges of Magic Dirt thrown in. With a magnificent voice unlike anyone else’s on the scene right now, our raven-haired lead singer thumped her bass hard, busting out with more intricate riffs when not concentrating on belting out attitude laden vocal melodies from her small frame. Their songs indicated a maturity in composition and prose and their performance was tight, strong, and thoroughly engaging. The girls were obviously enjoying playing, either bouncing around the stage and across to each other hair metal style or mincing toward the audience transfixing the growing number of very appreciative males in the room looking at each other, lifting their shoulders and indicating with nodding heads and pointing fingers “Wow, how good are these chicks.” Look out for their debut single New York Girl. It isn’t as complex as some of their other tracks (which one hopes are released in the near future), however it is catchy and will give you a taste of what Bright Red are about. Nice work ladies. Hope to see you again soon.
The blurb on the Tivoli site advised that The Cops and Expatriate would be alternating the headline timeslot throughout the tour. The roll of the dice saw The Cops bounding onto the stage next to welcome us all and kick it hard and fast straight up.
The Cops are very good at making new sounds out of those that have come before and truly making them their own. A mixture of rock, funk and electro with a side dish of pop, they are well known on the live circuit as well as on our youth radio airwaves. And why wouldn’t they be, with such rockin’ tracks as Call Me Anytime and The Message getting loads of coverage and their album Drop It In Their Laps literally lapping up megalitres of critical kudos. Bathed in red and yellow lights, lead singer Simon Carter, in tight black shirt and ultra cool retro black horn rim glasses, brings a force of attitude and energy to the stage that instantly has the crowd moving and jumping. Not afraid of a Plant-esk cry to the air above him, Carter’s enthusiasm has everyone in the room singing along to all the doodooditdoo’s of Cop Pop as loudly as they can. Bassist with the mostest, Rebecca Darwon, is resplendent in 1640’s styled velvet coat with ruffled lace cravat and cuffs. Between tracks she offers a timely reminder that we should all be enrolled to vote to ensure our voices are heard come election time. Jarrod Murphy’s guitar work has a truly original sound that leaves questions as to how he’s rigged up and what pedals are being used to such startling effect. The undulating mass in the room increases with each eclectic offering. There are girls balanced high on others shoulders pumping their arms in the air while groups of guys jump and mash singing every word of every song like a call to arms for the indie brethren. Another great live show under their belt, The Cops finish large and loud to rapturous sweaty applause.
Breaks between sets are characterized by sounds of the 1980’s, which is strangely comforting for those of us who recall Vaseline smeared video clips of David Bowie and Kate Bush – both with too much eye makeup and dramatic facial expression. The appropriateness of the backing music becomes apparent when considering the New Wave influences evident in the melodic meshing of keyboard and rapid stroke guitar chord progressions that permeate the neo-electronic pop of Expatriate.
Expatriate have had such an explosively successful rise to prominence in the Australian music scene since the release of their debut long player In the Midst of This. Adherence to a formula of story-telling lyricism that builds to a crescendo of pleadingly emotive sing-along chorus lines has certainly seen these guys develop a massive fan base. Taking the headline slot, they open from a power position with Play a Part. Never letting up on the tempo, they slam from one great number to the next; their performance joyous and energetic. Mid-set we are invited to sing Happy Birthday to drummer Chris while he is presented with a cake popping and crackling with many, many sparklers. A very happy birthday is guaranteed, as the audience is overflowing with adoration for all of the musicians on stage and from the free hugs all over the room, seemingly also each other. Returning to the set, futuristic sonic booms are laced with glimpses of molasses sugar. The Spaces Between, Are You Awake? and Crazy are stand out, a strong pervading thump and thwack of chest-shuddering bass lines vibrating through the timbers of Brisbane’s premier venue. Not to be outdone in the big finish department Expatriate finish triumphant with the foremost get-together-and-holler-every-word track of the night, the echoes of Only Wanna Love Ya surely being heard on the winds that cooled the thoroughly spent, and happily satiated, punters making their way out into the warmth of a spring night in the Valley.
