New Zealand’s Die! Die! Die! have been gigging in Sydney pretty regularly since they first burst onto the scene in 2004. Tonight, they returned to the Oxford Art Factory for the first time this year to launch their sophomore record Promises Promises.
Support duties were filled by Talons, a Sydney trio who lately have seemed to have a monopoly on supporting the heavier indie acts who tour ( Future Of The Left, Witch Hats and The Mint Chicks to name a few). They play some hard-edged indie rock, with a large punk influence, in a similar vein to other local groups such as Ohana and Eucalypt. There’s a reason for their constant addition to lineups lately: Talons play solid, confident sets, earning them new fans. Tonight was no exception, although they still need to mature a bit as a band. Some of the songs are better than others, and while some songs were immediately compelling, others lacked the hook or punchiness needed to be memorable. But Talons are a trio of great performers, who have the potential to be a formidable act – potential that was shown numerous times during their set.
Die! Die! Die! took the stage and immediately launched into one of the most rowdy performances I’ve witnessed in some time. While on their last tour in December 07, they were a little more demure than usual. Tonight saw both the lead singer Andrew Wilson and bassist Lachlan Anderson in the crowd during almost every song, a whole lot of movement among the front section of the crowd, and an incredibly energetic performance by the band for the duration of their set. The set consisted mostly of material from their newest record Promises Promises, a record that has seen them slightly slow down in parts, but as a result, also at their most potent and intense. It wasn’t all new material though, and their breakthrough song Ashtray! Ashtray! made an early appearance in the set.
Though he has played with Die! Die! Die! for some time now, the addition of Lachlan Anderson as bassist has seen the band improve dramatically. His performances with the band are going from strength to strength, and tonight he was more prominent than ever before. His basslines are becoming more and more central to the band’s material (particularly on the most recent record, the first material he has written with the band), and live he is a fantastic showman – even rivaling frontman Andrew Wilson in energy and intensity.
The band’s energy tonight seemed to only be heightened by the audience, who were one of the rowdiest crowds I’ve seen so far at Oxford Art Factory. The front section was a cacophony of flailing limbs, pumped fists and shouted lyrics. Late in the set, one audience member even stood in the middle of the stage and began a strip-tease, only to be pelted with the venue’s (thankfully plastic) schooners. While usually this kind of frenzy would diminish the musical aspect of a gig, it only served to heighten the intensity of Die! Die! Die!’s set, with the band not only taking it all in their stride and not missing a beat, but also feeding off the crowd’s raucous energy.
Die! Die! Die! show the fruits of what has been a pretty relentless touring schedule for several years now – one that has seen them spend extended periods in the UK and USA, as well as regular tours of Australia and New Zealand. Not only has their songwriting matured (resulting in some of the best punk released recently), but live they are unstoppable; taking these songs and applying them to a formidable, energetic live context. Put simply, Die! Die! Die! not only remain one of today’s essential antipodean live acts – rather, they are still getting better and better with every visit.
