The White Russians@ theHopetoun (20/02/2008)

Tue 26th Feb, 2008 in Gig Reviews

Back at the good ol’ Hopetoun where the live music played among the cozy surroundings often fails to disappoint. The first two performances were of the night were Sliced Bread and Bruce They served up awesome songs which were a fusion of piano rock with doses of punk and glam.

Highlights were Just Looking for Suzy which had a Cold Chisel – œAussie pub rock feel to it with the organ style keys and acoustic guitar, as well as Super Swinging Seventies as the keyboard trickled in, the keys were suddenly energized and accompanied by non-stop fills. I Send a Message to You is also worthy of mention.

Enter the Headliners. The former frontman of Machine Gun Fellatio , Pinky Beecroft took to the stage armed with a glass of white wine. Sporting a distinctively eyebrow-raising red tartan suit jacket, with the red and orange light shining behind him, he rose over his audience like a jester or mad scientist.

As the bewildered audience stood with anticipation, the White Russians began to play. The first track was an explosion of funky keys and screaming guitar, with the cymbals constantly shattering. As Pinky’s quirky lyrics began, the benchmark was set for the rest of the night – an eclectic foursome bashing out some fun tunes with something to think about from time to time.

The second song followed after a typical introduction: – œThis song is about a boy/girl/man/woman who. . . . . [end with a priceless anecdote]’ before belting out a rocking edgy number.

The pace then slowed, they eased off the pedal and played at a comfortable level. They brought it down even further to a slow and slinky tune, and let the lyrics and banter in between the songs entertain the crowd.

Then all of a sudden they delivered an unusual up-tempo storm of Just B’coz , from MGF’s 2002 album Paging Mr. Strike . This faster – œpunked-up’version was complimented with slamming beats. It was out of control.

Another slow number followed (surprisingly), followed by a run of screaming guitars, piano and fills beyond belief. With song titles like I might not be so good in bed (but I’m alright on the floor) and the chopping and changing styles, what can one expect from the White Russians? Exactly – anything. Even the keyboard conked out a few times and despite technical difficulties, the band played on. And it all worked well. Perhaps that is why the audience was so transfixed, they were kept guessing.

The band returned with an encore. What started off to be a very slow and creepy version of Blonde’s Call Me by only Nick Stewart on guitar and Pinky on vocals, was soon accompanied by the others.

There was a mild flavour of Machine Gun Fellatio throughout the performance by this melting pot of talent. Even though new ground hasn’t been broken, the landscape has definitely changed. That night at the Hopetoun, the White Russians were – œthe dudes.’