Rook @ The Ding Dong Lounge,Melbourne (15/08/2008)

Mon 18th Aug, 2008 in Gig Reviews

A double launch is just the way to spend a cold and wet Melbourne night, ensconced in the Ding Dong Lounge which always provides an enjoyable setting, no matter what or who the occasion. Tonight proved no different, as local music fans filled the venue for the double launch tonight. Melbourne favourites Rook headlined the night, new single 27 Seconds in hand, and were joined by Brisbane’s Melodyssey, who were launching their album The Two Windows.

The sets were short, but sweet, and the crowd well lubricated courtesy of the bar staff, who kept one eye on the empty glasses in the hands of patrons, ensuring that they didn’t remain so for long, and another on approaching fans looking to ease into the admittedly excited atmosphere.

Melodyssey have been kicking around for a decade, with numerous live performances under their belt, so it came as a surprise to see vocalist Lance Howard at times visibly struggling to relax and find his feet on stage in the first half of the set, a stark contrast to the other three members of the band who were launching an intense assault of material on fans, and loving every minute of doing so. As the floor before the stage filled up with singing and dancing fans, Howard’s awkwardness melted away, and they delivered the second half of their set with gusto, returning to the form and presence that has won them fans all the way around Australia.

In the short break between bands, a quick visual sweep of the area results in a little bit of local star spotting, with Nick and Pete from Mammal and Pete from Schelite lending their support to the boys tonight.

Rook wasted no time getting on stage, diminutive front man Forbes McKail drawing a roar from the crowd, and a smile on every face in the crowd. Opening with a one-two punch of Desley and New Guy from the Transitions EP, McKail strutted, jumped and danced on stage, trademark black dreadlocks flying askew. Similarly styled bassist Adam May alternated between catching McKail’s eye and grinning to acknowledging devoted fans on the floor, who crowded the edge of the stage, singing their hearts out.

Transitions is a sublime aural experience in itself, but performed live, each track transcends to a different level, subtly refined by the intensity of drummer Rod Crowe, thumping away in the background, and a delight to watch in action. Guitarist Tyson Fish’s presence on stage isn’t due to his towering stature alone – his fingers dance along the strings in his hand, coaxing delicate sounds or ripping into massive riffs as intended.

Rook’s ability to cast a spell on the audience proves handy, as it’s never easy road testing new tracks at a gigs. But Rook did. In fact, they played three successive new tracks – Come, Sonny and launch single 27 Seconds, which, although unfamiliar to many, did not stop fans from showing their appreciation. Snowball brought proceedings back into familiar territory, and the crowd rushing forward, encompassed in the ambitiously epic sound emanating from the foursome on stage.

The List brought on the biggest sing-a-long as well as the most enjoyment on the night, as the tempo was dropped significantly for the verses, McKail’s powerhouse vocals delicately straining with emotion as the crowd sang along, often out of time but clearly not minding one bit. The contrived tempo only made the fury of the chorus ever more so potent, sating the crowd long enough to slot in Sunshine Ghost, another new track.

Fiction closed out a superb performance, equal parts intensity and showmanship, tantalizing the senses and leaving me wondering why it was only the second time I had ever seen Rook play live. Rook left the stage with a promise to all – that it would be the last time they played without having new material for punters to take home with them.

With a sleuth of dates announced in support of the upcoming new EP, one of our best-kept secrets on the local music scene just might not be so secret anymore.

CHECK OUT THE GALLERY OF PICTURES FROM THE GIG HERE