CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW HERE.
I had seen Modest Mouse about a year ago at the Falls Festival, but I was in a state of severe inebriation. There were a few of songs I remember, but not a lot. Tonight’s experience was totally different. Modest Mouse was amazing and totally unforgettable. The thing that amazed me the most was the massive sound the band had, with the two drummers creating this bombastic sound that pounded your skull.
This worked most effectively on the song Tiny Cities Made of Ashes. Lead singer Isaac Brock was doing this whole preacher man thing, wailing and spitting at the audience. His vocal style is definitely one of the most unusual in the rock world, as he screams and barks like a man possessed.
When Johnny Marr of Smiths fame had his debut Australian appearance at Falls Fest last year, I think the majority of the crowd were more interested in seeing him, with the band coming second. This time around, for me personally, Johnny’s appearance didn’t really matter that much. He was just the new guitarist playing with Modest Mouse, not the superstar from the 80s.
The amalgamation of all the different instruments was awesome. Brock’s banjo playing on a number of songs complemented Johnny’s rock stylings perfectly. Of course the highlights were the crowd favourite Float On – the crowd harmonised perfectly with Isaac’s verbal bantering – and Dashboard, which was funky as hell. The double drums were smashed along at a rattling pace.
The new Palace has turned into a great venue. The sound and the main stage set-up are fantastic. It’s good to see the mob from the Palace have taken over this venue. I much prefer this venue opposed to the old one in St Kilda. The old place was a bit of a dive – but the amount of legendary gigs that took place there made your forget about the crap surroundings.
Considering the band has been around for about 15 years now, the newfound success hasn’t affected the attitudes of the group at all. It shows the guys on stage are consummate performers, and there was no ego show-boating at all. If anything it has made them better performers and songwriters. This was best gig of the year so far.
