There was once a time when acts performing at Splendour skipped Queensland sideshows altogether, to increase the appeal of the Splendour in the Grass festival. However, with the massive national publicity of Splendour, and a guaranteed six-hour sellout, this is no longer the case, which gives lucky people like this reviewer and the hundreds of people in the Tivoli this Thursday the amazing blessing of a Polyphonic Spree concert, in full.
The John Steele Singers, a local act playing support, fill the floor area of the Tivoli early on with their Brisbane fanbase. Members of the Polyphonic Spree, who by this stage of the tour seem to be in love with the band, look on. The John Steele Singers take the catchiest parts of 60’s garage rock and add horns and three part vocals to make an extremely entertaining mix, and their performance catches on helped by their generous radio play recently. The band between songs drank from Toohey’s New and shared jokes between themselves and sly glances at female audience members.
As the break between the bands comes to a close and the Tivoli packs out, scissors slowly cut a heart shape into a giant black ribbon shielding the audience from whatever might be behind it. As the final tear was cut, the ribbon fell away and bright lights flared onto the enormous 23 piece band that is the Polyphonic Spree. Dressed each in black, red-crossed uniforms, the band belted into new track Running Away, draped behind with an amazing rising sun backdrop (check out the photos !)
The sound of the Polyphonic Spree was intense and vibrant, a fullspectrum of auditory pleasure. A six-piece female choir (three brunettes behind three blondes), a harp player, flautist, two drummers, two pianists… and more, Including amazing frontman Tim DeLaughter. The band are all smiles and carefree, playing their magnum opuses the way you would play childhood games. Playing a set dominated by songs of their earlier albums, the impressively full Tivoli was packed by those who missed out on Splendour tickets, and quite a number of people eager for an encore view that weekend. After an hour of intense light and sound show, including a roaring (and PERFECT) cover of Guns ‘N’ Roses’ cover of Live and Let Die, the band slowly trailed off one by one of the stage, as the lights faded, until all that was left was a lone harp player who slowly faded away as the lights fell down. Massive applause followed!
This would usually be enough for one, for an AVERAGE band, however the Polyphonic Spree are no average band, and they returned to the stage, dressed in their trademark white robes, and each member had a different colour trim on their own robe, increasing the beautiful array of colours that the outstanding lighting show was offering. The second set was even more energetic than the first – twenty-three people on stage is far more impressive than any standard three or four piece band could possibly offer, the members sharing loving glances at each other and feeding off the energy of the massive crowd, in some kind of amazing love-circle. Delaughter managed to begin running around in the crowd singing with people, breaking into their best known song Hold Me Now and then a world-beating rendition of Nirvana’s Lithium. (The best singalong mathematically possible, featuring a universally-known chorus ‘Yea-yeah! Yea-Yea-Yeah!’ ) The set finishes with an amazing reprise of Here Comes the Sun as played in the first set. The band then all gather together for a final bow, and Tim DeLaughter asks a final question ‘Sorry guys, just one question, Does “fanny” in australia really mean…the front side?’
He then tells the audience how amazing the Tivoli staff are, and seems equally impressed by the lighting guy, who did genius work that night by anyone’s standard. I heard from one of the staff members that the Polyphonic Spree gave their 23 guest passes to the entire Tivoli staff, thereby instantly cancelling the Anti-Splendour party they were going to throw! The band spent the rest of the evening hanging out with the fans, signing merch and giving hugs. Incredible.
