Grafton Primary, having recently completed a tour with Faker brought their show to the intimate Revolver for the launch of the first single from their upcoming album. However, every now and again the main band on a bill is overshadowed by the performance of its supporting acts. This was the case at Revolver on Saturday 28th where a little known Melbourne based band The Peacocks and the always entertaining Darren Cross, in the form of his solo project E.L.F, offered far more entertaining performances than that of NSW’s Grafton Primary.
Originally hailing from New Zealand, The Peacocks simply must be seen to be believed. Donning clothes to rival anything found in David Bowie’s wardrobe, The Peacocks, consisting of Aaron Shanahan, Josh Moriarty, Sam Mackisack and Mereki Beach feed off each other’s individuality to provide more energy than any crowd could hope to digest. Their sound is a blend of alt-rock, funk, electro synths, incredible basslines and vibrant vocals reminiscent of a more flamboyant version of LCD Soundsystem. The Peacocks offer an unpretentious quirkiness that is infectious and overwhelmingly refreshing. However, what is most impressive about this group is the incredible lack of restraint they show in their live performance with wild stage antics escalating futher and further throughout the show. Half way through the set their shirts and jackets were ripped off, microphones were placed rather awkwardly down glamrock pants and the boys were busy jumping into and through the punters brave enough to stand at the front of stage. You would be safe to assume it could only be tamer from there, however you would be wrong. This brilliantly unique performance is a true standout in Melbourne’s live scene and an absolute must see.
Darren Cross, best known as the guitarist/vocalist from old Australian favourites Gerling now brings his musical talents to the masses in the form of E.L.F, a solo dance/DJ project. Taking the stage armed only with his laptop and understated voice, Darren had a very hard act to follow but his trademark wit and catchy dance-pop songs maintained the mood. Darren’s songs ranged from those of social commentary with the humorous Big-eyed Kids (inspired by his recent tour with Muscles) to his versions of old classics like House of Pain’s Jump Around and Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark. Darren even managed to shut-down a heckling teen by responding to his misguided comments with ‘maybe you should loosen your scarf’. E.L.F’s most popular track Cockroaches had everyone dancing and highlights that E.L.F can be viewed as a credible production project as well as providing an entertaining liveset.
After the success of electronic band crossover acts such as Midnight Juggernauts and The Presets, a plethora of copycat groups have emerged including Grafton Primary. Grafton Primary, made up of two brothers Ben and Josh Garden, started off their set with heavy electro synths and angst-ridden vocals with tracks such as Change. Most of the first half of the set was dedicated to similar pessimistic meanders and remained relatively uninspiring. However, about half way through their set a keytar was introduced and Chromeo-esque tracks such as Relativity and I Like to Cook were played with a much better crowd response. While not novel in anyway, these tracks appeal well to fans of the new-rave indie sound. Grafton Primary’s new single She Knows It described as “One womans story about where the world might be heading” is a track much in the same vein as Relativity and was recieved well. Grafton Primary are at a crossroads and must choose whether to pursue the more serious darker electro or a lighter take on their genre by providing the 80’s type retro synths matched with less despairing vocals. Presently their heavier songs seem contrived with a lack of depth but with songs like I Can Cook they may fail to gain widespread commerical acceptance and simply be another ‘copycat’ group.
Given Grafton Primary’s ability to do great remixes, they have more than one avenue available to them to progress and given the upcoming release of their new album, their direction will soon be discovered. However Saturday 28th at Revolver was not owned by Grafton Primary, instead E.L.F showed its ability to produce as well as entertain whilst The Peacocks made a lasting impression and clearly stole the show.
