With three EPs under their belt and an impressive resume of tours behind them, Trial Kennedy were set to launch their first full-length album, New Manic Art , and they did just that in a fine fashion at the HiFi on Friday night.
By 8:30, the line outside reached halfway down the block and the wintry Melbourne temperature made the walk down the stairs inside quite welcoming indeed. Darren Cordeux – (sans his usual Kisschasy compatriots) took the stage just after 9pm and warmed up the crowd armed with only his acoustic guitar and a beer. He played a selection of his favourite songs by artists including Tom Waits and Weezer, with his cover of Say It Ain’t So a standout. Cutting his set a little short, admitting that he doesn’t “know how to play that many songs”, he left the stage as the venue started to fill out.
Boom Crash Opera burst out loud and hard, bringing the dance floor to its feet and convincingly confirming their status as legends of Aussie rock. The younger crowd stood back slightly to begin with, as the other obviously devoted fans burnt up the floor shaking and clapping along to some of their greatest hits including Great Wall and Hands Up In the Air. Guitarist Peter Farnan churned out the guitar solos, as the smile never left his face. In the end it all came down to the fact that the whole band genuinely looked like they were having a great time. This seemed to rub off on punters as the seasoned performers drew the audience in with their catchy choruses and hard-hitting beats, with front-man Dale Ryder’s spirited banter contributing greatly to their entertainment factor. The bands enthusiasm and charismatic stage presence won over the rest of the crowd, leaving the room buzzing and ready for the main event of the night.
After what seemed like an exceptionally long wait in the then crowded HiFi, with a ventilation system that felt like it had retired for the night, Trial Kennedy let loose upon the crowd around 11:20. Launching straight into the first track on the new album, Sunday Warning singer Tim Morrison gripped the microphone, leaning out into the crowd. From the first note, Morrison’s impressive talent was obvious to all. Hitting all the right notes and showcasing his incredibly varied vocal range, he transitioned easily from rock screams to the sweeter melodies that can be heard in the track Colour Day Tours- one of the catchiest tunes on the album. Morrison’s voice is hauntingly good and it is always nice to hear a good ‘ol Aussie accent peeking through a little in the vocals, but it would be unfair to give him all the credit.
There is something about guitarist Stacey Gray . He makes the art of ‘rocking out’ look easy. At times it’s hard to take your eyes off him and all his finger-picking goodness. He’s the type of musician that makes you want to pick up a guitar and jam along. From the distorted power of The Great Escape to the technically innovative sounds of title track New Manic Art Gray shifts seamlessly, at one point substituting his left hand with a wine bottle to play a solo. The commanding guitar heard in War King, which Morrison dedicated to “all the men and women fighting in wars”, was a highlight, the marching drum beat and killer bass line- courtesy of drummer Shaun Gionis and bassist Aaron Malcolmson made it an awe-inspiring spectacle.
Trial Kennedy finished the set with current single Neighbours- which garnered some of the loudest screams for the night – perhaps thanks to the airplay it has received on commercial radio. Morrison signaled to the crowd whilst singing “we’re staring at a nice turnout,” obviously appreciative of the passionate support coming from the packed out room. It wasn’t quite the closer they needed to cap off the night and they left the stage rather abruptly. While some of the crowd began making their way towards the door, Stacey Gray quickly re-appeared announcing they would be back on in “2 minutes” with members of Boom Crash Opera and Darren Cordeux. Although the bands did come out again to join together in an encore capping an impressive album launch.
