The Brunettes @ The Annandale,Sydney (8/3/08)

Mon 10th Mar, 2008 in Gig Reviews

It was a smallish crowd for a Saturday night at the always agreeable Annandale Hotel. El May played a solid, crowd-warming set early before Plastic Palace Alice sparked the crowd with their eclectic classical-infused brand of rock/funk music. It was, however, clear who the crowd had come to see.

7-piece New Zealand band The Brunettes hit the stage shortly after 11p.m. and opened with one of their better known tracks, B-A-B-Y. The song is accompanied by dance moves so similar to YMCA that The Village People may be considering a plagiarism case. With a spectacular range of instrumental talent – The Brunettes played bass and six-string guitars, drums, keyboards, tambourines, maracas, harmonicas, xylophones, clapping sticks, triangles, saxophones, trumpets, glockenspiels and clarinets – the crowd immediately became involved in the set.

The highlight of the show was Heather Mansfield, the charismatic female lead. It’s not often that one sees a person so rock-out with a clarinet, but it’s a sight worth seeing, I promise. Mansfield led the band with such infectious enthusiasm that, similar to bands such as The Grates, she improves the band’s recorded efforts when transferred to the live arena.

The set lasted an hour, with songs spanning from their three albums, Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks, Mars Loves Venus and their superb third LP Structure and Cosmetics. Singles Stereo and Brunettes Against Bubblegum Youth were particular highlights.

For a smallish crowd, it was a vocal one, with the masses pressing close to the stage and participating in banter with the band, all of who seemed a bit disappointed to have to finish their set by midnight. Good, quirky fun from a band that I’m sure we’ll hear more of.