Bluejuice and The PaperScissors @ Newport Hotel27/04/08

Wed 30th Apr, 2008 in Gig Reviews

As well as doing their bit for pop diversity, bands Bluejuice and The Paper Scissors have between them, the most adorable dimples in Australian music today. The population is just one grin and lopsided gaze away from complete subjugation, so when you join the audience of either of these bands, be prepared to, as Bluejuice puts it, dance in a retarded way.

It was a cold Sunday night after a huge week in the Perth live music scene, and frankly, it was surprising that anyone got out from under the doona and made it into the Newport Hotel at all, let alone enough people to fill the purpose-built live music space they have there. Sadly, for support act Harlequin League, most punters didn’t get it together in time to see their set, but by the time Bluejuice had completed their setup and sound check, there was a decent sized crowd. Two songs into their set, the gaps between dancers had closed up, making it difficult to get a good view of the band unless you were dancing yourself.

The Newport Hotel contains an enclosed beer garden, with a bar running the entire length of the room, allowing an excellent view of the bands for their friendly staff. Not only was the Sunday night service fast and friendly, but the drinks were very kindly priced, allowing those previously too self-conscious to dance their way to a good view, to rectify the matter and still have money for a taxi home.

Bluejuice said they had planned a slower set because it was a Sunday night, and they thought the audience might be all tuckered out from a big weekend; however this band is incapable of slow.

Never taking themselves seriously, they hollered and danced their way through an hour’s worth of Aussie hip-hop that was neither overly political, sentimental or preachy, (unlike some other Aussie hip-hop acts we might mention). The focus for Bluejuice seems to be on feeling good, having fun, and letting others do their thing as well.

Best known for their recent Hottest 100 placegetter; Vitriol, which when played on Sunday, dissolved the last threads of self-consciousness in the crowd, Bluejuice also played favourite Unemployed from a few years back, and the feel good, Hunnamunnafeeb. Really, they could have played anything and the crowd would have had a great time, because the band was so clearly enjoying themselves. At one point, in a fit of affection, or exuberance, Co-Frontman, Jake Stone leapt onto the bass drum before falling into the arms of drummer, Ned Molesworth. Nonplussed, Molesworth lifted Stone over his head, dropping the singer in a heap on the stage in front of the kit. If a part of the kit was damaged in the stunt, it wasn’t noticeable during the remainder of the set.

In a true show of their affability and friendliness as a band, every member of Bluejuice joined the audience dancing and cheering and generally being supportive when The Paper Scissors took their place on stage. The long gap between bands was perhaps too long, because many audience members drifted away as the juicy-blue excitement of the previous set died down. When The Paper Scissors finally arrived on stage, vocalist Jai Payne called the audience members back to dance, but the patrons were slow in coming forward, and perhaps because of this, or because they were nervous, or still too sober, the opening few songs seemed to lack energy. The lack of vigour did not detract from the skilful manipulation of both instruments and vocal chords evidenced by all members of the band, but it did create a stark contrast with their tour-mates, who, if they had any more energy would have been in danger of rupturing something. Despite being two very different styles of music, both bands successfully inspired some truly retarded dancing. Well done boys!

After a couple of songs, they were joined on keys by Jerry Craib from Bluejuice for a super-extended mix of We Don’t Walk, and The Paper Scissors finally began to relax and enjoy themselves. Unfortunately for everyone who lacked the stamina to stay out so late on a Sunday night, the second half of the set (which they missed) was something worth having your eyes hanging out of their sockets for at work the next day.

According to the guy at the merch table, if the band hadn’t got drunk and left their CDs at the hotel, they would have sold the lot. There were some very funkily decorated Paper Scissors tea-towels, but oddly, no one has figured out yet how to get music out of a tea towel.