Friday the 2nd of November was an ugly wet day, so as I finished a riveting 6000 word essay on Australian history I cranked some Gyroscope , and as the rain faded and the temperature increased in the afternoon I found myself getting increasingly fired up for their show at the Gaelic Club. I can’t think of too many better ways to kick off the summer holidays than a big dirty beer, mosh and sing-along session to an extremely under-rated outfit at a top venue. As I walked to the train station, in my head the lines ‘safe forever, forever’ ran over and over.
It’s hard to believe that these blokes have been around for ten years, as vocalist Daniel Sanders could still pass for a teenager and they certainly haven’t lost the enthusiasm and energy that have earned their live show’s notoriety. The band’s tunes are certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, but the Gaelic Club had sold out when I arrived and inside was absolutely chockers with sweaty, expectant fans.
Touring to spruik their third album Breed Obsession, due for release early in 2008, I was a little disappointed not to hear more songs off Sound Shattering Sound. For my own tastes that album was Gyroscope at their best and my need was barely satiated by the absolute ripper Safe Forever and the set-closer Doctor, Doctor. However the purpose of this tour is to give the punters a taste of what’s to come and the crowd seemed to eat up everything, old and new. I was myself a little disappointed in their 2005 sophomore lp Are you involved and I’m hoping that the next release picks up where the debut left-off, fusing infectious melody with stacks of energy while avoiding the (more popular) cheese of bands like Kisschasy.
I’ve heard new single Snakeskin a fair bit on Triple J and it displays a big sound that I certainly hope is indicative of the quality of the new slab, but after this show I feel it’s a little early to tell. For mine Gyroscope are a band that asks for some effort on the part of the listener, an effort that often makes the reward a little sweeter.
Lead vocalist Daniel Sanders is a confident, and proficient singer, who attacks the tunes with passion, and is capable of appearing simultaneously fragile yet threatening. Guitar player Zoran Trivic adopted a classic rock cum gang scarf and his interesting melody lines are a pretty big piece of the unique Gyroscope soundscape, and I was surprised to see that he looks like he’s gained a few pounds and is no longer built like a thermometer. Brad Campbell on bass locked in very solidly with drummer Rob Nassif, and his Afro served to reveal the feeble pretender that is Andrew Stockdale’s do.
Is it just me or is Nassif a Taylor Hawkins look-alike? Resemblances aside, the entire band certainly exuded an energy and presence that belied the ten years slog they’ve put in, and I can’t help but agree with frontman Sanders who has described the Gyroscope of 2007 as ‘a snake shedding its well worn skin’.
Though the band have not as yet enjoyed the success many of the sell-out crowd would claim they deserve, in a way the selfish music fan is spoiled by a quality band that you can see in a relatively intimate setting full of like-minded souls who also realise the rarity of such a situation, for Twenty odd bucks. Such events aren’t easy to find and the feeling in the Gaelic Club filled me with an appreciation for what the boys do and a love for my fellow man and woman, or maybe that was the Eight-dollar bourbon and cokes. The dedicated Gyroscope fan can now prepare for the release of Breed Obsession and look forward to learning the words to yell along, when they head back our way.
