The last time I saw Gyroscope play at Ruby’s Lounge was back in 2006. Even though the crowd was relatively small we stood out enough to get a song dedicated to “Those poor guys that have to work tomorrow”. I also meet the band in the backstage area (behind a secret bookcase) where my friend chatted to them about their last album Are You Involved?. Even though I’ve seen them plenty of times since then (four and counting), that gig still remains my most memorable. Therefore I had high expectations when I heard that Gyroscope would be traveling back to Ruby’s in 2008.
After finding out that they wouldn’t be hitting the stage till 11:15 (groan), I only arrived to catch a few songs from Melbourne band Trial Kennedy. While their overall set was full of impressive rock riffs, the highlight came during their last song when Gyroscope’s lead singer Daniel Sanders joined them on stage to provide some back-up singing. A couple of audience members also deciding to jump in on the act. They provided some surprisingly decent vocals before being dragged off by the security guards.
Following a delayed start Rob (drums), Brad (bass), Zoran (guitar) and Daniel (lead vocals, guitar) finally made their way up to the stage via a quick bypass through the crowd. After giving them a congratulatory pat on the back they kicked things off with Fast Girl. From the start of the set, Daniel was determined to literally make his mark on the venue after he hung off the stage curtain and nearly tore it down. He then proceeded to suspend his guitar from the roof after smashing it into the same spot as the last time he played at Ruby’s (it still had the gaffer tape there to prove it).
While I was initially expected Gyroscope to fully demo their upcoming album Breed Obsession they instead opted to play a broad range of material including 22 of 3, Confidence in Confidentiality, Take This For Granted and Are You Getting Any Better?
Specific highlights of the night included their energetic album opener Don’t Look Now But I Think I’m Sweating Blood, which lived up to its namesake by having everyone intensely sweating it out in the mosh-pit. Audience participation has always been a strong point of Gyroscope gigs and the crowd didn’t disappoint when they provided vocal support to the distinct crooning choruses of songs like A Slow Dance. Their biggest hit of the night Save Forever also had 200+ people perfectly singing in unison with the anthem “I did it for you girl!”. Older material like Driving For the Storm and Hallow Like Cheyenne went down well, with long-term fans distinguishable by their ability to cite every lyric verbatim.
Quiet only descended upon the patrons when they were absorbed into the atmospheric tunes of Raindrops, Dream Vs Scream and Sexxxy. These heartfelt ballads captivated the audience and demonstrated that Gyroscope is equally capable of delivering slower melodic numbers as well as harder hitting ones. They also showcased Daniel’s superb vocal ability and distinct diction, which is always a pleasure to hear live. It was also interesting to hear him experiment with some reverb and echo effects which helped add some extra depth to the songs.
The atmosphere was then cranked up another two notches when the epic single Snakeskin was performed. The signature guitar hooks, breakdowns and catchy lyrics had the whole crowd absorbed. Everyone gave a fantastic cheer when Zoran thanked them for voting it to an impressive # 16 spot on this year’s Triple J Hottest 100 countdown.
While I wasn’t originally sold on the electronic driven sound of their latest single 1981, after a couple of live listens I’m now completely addicted. While the synthesiser sounding drum beat gave it a slow pop-style start it wasn’t long before memorable guitar work and a catchy chorus took hold of the crowd and had them bouncing with exuberance.
This was contrasted with another new track which was aptly titled O.K. The general lack of speed and energy didn’t really make it stand out, but it will probably grow on me after a few more listens. Due to some poorly timed guitar static, I couldn’t make out the title of another new song but I think it was called Weapon. Enemy. Friend. This track worked perfectly live and had the whole band feeding off each other with thundering guitar riffs and powerhouse drumming.
The hour long set with concluded with the ever popular heavy-hitting classic Doctor Doctor and a surprise rendition of Nirvana’s Territorial Pissing. This last song brought back fond memories of the days when I used to sing the lines, “Just because they’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not watching you”. Gyroscope then proved that they’re a ‘band for the people’ after Daniel sauntered into the crowd and played a guitar solo while being swamped by rabid photographers.
This leg of the appropriately titled Pre-Obsession tour impressed both new and old fans alike, suggesting that 2008 will finally be the year Gyroscope hit the big time. It’s about bloody time. As the Snakeskin lyrics say, “I’m already obsessed”.
