A fiercely progressive and innovative rock act, Thrice possess a diverse catalogue of albums to challenge and inspire the most jaded of alternative listeners. Thus it was somewhat of a surprise to see the Californian quartet greeted with a slightly disappointing turnout for their first Perth headline show in a 10 year career. Like any professional band worth a pinch of salt however, they didn’t let it deter them from delivering the kind of show upon which legendary live reputations are built.
In fact they took it up several notches straight off the bat, with the raw energy of Silhouette and the Deftones-esque Firebreather serving as considerable ammunition for the writhing pit of bodies in front of the stage. Thrice thrive on their ability to carefully dissect brutal riffery with incredibly melodic vocal and guitar lines, and the opening portion of the show was clearly dedicated to displaying their melodic hardcore side.
The first indication of the experimental direction taken with the Alchemy Index series came during Digital Sea. Over a bed of lurching keyboards and an industrial rhythmic backing track that evoked a midnight scene in a cemetery by the sea, vocalist/guitarist Dustin Kensrue sang through a processed megaphone of the “ghost of Descartes”. The reference was a clear nod to the philosophical and mathematical elements so central to both the band’s sound and lyrics, which are well-penned and highly personal, providing a sense of intimacy amongst the noise. Delivered with a passionate intensity, Kensrue’s vocal control through all ranges was absolutely world-class, and an obvious indicator of just how far both he and the band have come since their days on Sub City Records.
Question marks had hung over how the pre and post Vheissu material would be reconciled in a live context. Would we see an acoustic show? All-out rock? An awkward mix of both? Or none of the above, as it turns out. What we did see was a perfectly paced set that highlighted a natural evolution in sound from their hardcore beginnings to the current ethereal art rock leanings. From the desert-tinged groove of The Earth Isn’t Humming to the piano-driven baroque epic For Miles, Thrice displayed a depth and variety in both sound and writing to set them truly head and shoulders above an often derivative hardcore scene. Watching the guitar interplay between Kensrue and guitarist Teppei Teranishi, they are precise to a note, with songs such as the 5/4 dream-like waltz of The Whaler proving they have the technical dexterity to match their melodic nous.
Early single Deadbolt closed the main set and was affectionately dedicated to a handful of fans that had followed them East on a previous tour. It was clear the band was genuinely appreciative of the enthusiasm displayed by a city that by Kensrue’s own admission Thrice didn’t know existed. Throwing themselves at the track, the audience responded in kind, throwing themselves at each other. With an encore consisting of country ballad Come All You Weary and the sweeping metal hymn The Earth Will Shake, Thrice closed the show in intense fashion and showed how an avoidance of stifling song structures and styles has allowed them to artistically progress and establish a naturally evolving career.
The only black mark against the gig was the atrociously unimaginative light show. With absolutely no correlation to the music being played it unfortunately dampened the overall live spectacle. Would it have been that difficult to do a low blue light bathe during the Water tracks? Gig Lighting 101 surely. Take nothing away from Thrice though. This was a captivating performance that made for one of the better shows to grace Perth this year.
ashryn
said on the 30th Aug, 2008