Cloud Control & The John SteelSingers @ Spectrum, Sydney(10/05/08)

Mon 19th May, 2008 in Gig Reviews

Everybody should go to Spectrum. And all young bands like Cloud Control should play there. The venues may get bigger but they won’t get a lot better. Not in Sydney, not now. Spectrum gives you the total experience. Past the bouncers, through the door, pay a $10 cover change to see live bands and maybe dance a little. Up top of a worn out set of stairs is a club decorated with stencil graffiti and paint splatters. No chrome. Just bumps, gristles and the odd ledge for your drink.

As we arrived The John Steel Singers were blowing their horns to a mixed crowd of slouchy hipsters. Like the interior architecture, their dress sense was relaxed and undefined, messy. A group of kids huddled in a circle, trying to make cover as a friend poured wine out of a BYO bottle into a plastic cup. A few others lent against poles, mostly but not always talking. This looked like a crowd with no expectations of one another, laid back and having fun. Yeah you can twist, but you don’t have to shout. And if you don’t want to twist, just sing along.

We found a neat spot and waited for Cloud Control to set up. Another point: You can see the stage from almost anywhere in this venue. There are no dark corners for unfortunate social experiments involving drunkenness and hands. We are all the better for it.

Looking around I saw the JJJ logo all over everything, so I asked the manager of The John Steel Singers why. She told me the bands put it on their promotional material in exchange for airtime. That explains the crowd. So did they organise the lineup? “No, the bands met at a gig one night and got along really well so they decided to tour together. I think the sounds mix really well.”

Now Cloud Control were ready to play. Alister Wright, Heidi Lenffer, Jeremy Kelshaw and Ulrich Lenffer are from the Blue Mountains. Maybe the mixture of intense sunlight and shadowy undergrowth has influenced their music, from the first note it was melancholic, and very light. The two lead singers Wright and Lenffer harmonised well, though it was Lenffer’s voice that was strongest. Similarly the lead guitar to compliment the bass, which was deep and catchy. Together they gave the music a bluesy edge to make the audience relax and sway, like The Carpenters or Steely Dan did once upon a time.

Swaying with joy, the happiest punter of all was front row, centre stage, and at least 45 years old. He had his arms crossed and was sliding his shoulders, just slightly off the beat. His expression of pride (not to mention his age) gave him away as one of the band member’s parents (that or the band have picked up a mixed and loyal crowd in the Blue Mountains).

It wouldn’t surprise me. As tracks like Buffalo Country picked up the pace, it was obvious: Cloud Control are talented, consistent, and gentle. My friend touched my shoulder, “Now I feel happy, and I didn’t before they played.” But what I like about this band is they are boppy but not brutal, happy but not candy-coloured. Their simple melodies remind me of Swedish pop, like Jenny Wilson and even The Concretes.

And by the time they played Into the Line, Cloud Control made me feel generally reminiscent, and wistful. They reminded me Sydney band Glare, of The Church if they had mellow moments, of drowsy afternoon light. They play good music for the final scene in a coming of age movie, when the lead characters have made their journey, learnt their lesson and decided to make the best of imperfect love. While they are sure to mature as a band, I recommend people check them out soon, while they are in their early stages. It’s as sweet to hear as it is to see.