Jebediah, Mary Trembles, MyFiction @ The Zoo, Brisbane(06/09/08)

Tue 9th Sep, 2008 in Gig Reviews

Check out our gallery of photos from this top night here

Local quintet My Fiction have secured tonight’s prized first support slot as a result of constant gigging throughout the city in recent months. Evidently their exposure has paid off, as they’re being heard by all the right ears. Mine have yet to hear their curious blend of keyboard-infused indie rock, and it takes me most of their set to ascertain exactly where they’re coming from. They skillfully blend elements of New Order and, more recently, The Bravery, to produce a sound that nods respectfully at their influential contemporaries without sticking around long enough to become derivative. Singer Eric Robinson’s carefully calculated stagecraft is the product of staying up late and watching INXS and The Cure DVDs on repeat. He picks up a guitar to play Gaps And Shadows and shoulders it for the rest of the performance, while fellow guitarist James Laubscher concocts some interesting sounds of his own. As a whole, the band are so cohesive and confident that I have to keep reminding myself that they’ve only just released their debut EP. I’m reasonably convinced that cyborg drummers are being produced in a warehouse somewhere in Bowen Hills, such is the quantity of quality drummers on the local scene of late; the precise skinwork of Danny Murphy is no exception. Since you’ll probably soon attend a gig where they’re supporting, I endorse your early attendance.

Mary Trembles’ explosive stage presence has changed little since I first witnessed them support Dinosaur Jr last year, but their songwriting has improved markedly. Several tracks from their debut EP, PS…Situation are interspersed with material from newly-released debut album Borrowed Ears, Borrowed Eyes. Set opener Geranium is promising; Jump Like You Wanted To finds guitarist Skritch screaming “you shoulda known better!” at the startled crowd while standing and delivering from the base of stage, while fellow newie Tiargo is the trio’s strongest song yet. Its excellent guitar melody is backed by a solid outro rhythm section, which is reminiscent of Die! Die! Die!’s Sideways Here We Come.

July’s premature album launch at The Troubadour saw some nerves and technical problems dampen their night, but the three-piece remind us once again of their exceptional value and confidence in the support slot. They’re not without their faults: the slow pace of Grand Central is better suited to the confines of the album than the live environment, as ambient conversation becomes more audible above Damon Cox’s subdued use of timpani mallets. The crowd’s attention is effectively reeled in once more by a breakneck reading of Emergency Signs For Motorists, which hurtles down the proverbial tracks like a runaway freight train, driven by Skritch’s mesmerising slide guitar phrasing. Scene From Below is enjoyable; judging by the quantity of nodding heads, it’s still their most recognised track.

The natural harmonic-based guitar riff of set closer Eating Through The Debauchery is stripped down to near-inaudibility until the set concludes in a flurry of movement and sound. Skritch and bassist Tanzie drop their instruments and shuffle off without ceremony, leaving the drummer to thank the appreciative crowd. The band’s distinct division between solemn, sparse moments and full-flight rock is frustrating, but the attraction of their sound remains considerable. Consider attending their second attempt at an album launch later this month.

Midway through their set, it hits me: Jebediah are a band playing music simply because they love playing music. While acknowledging that their couple of years in the wilderness has won them few new fans, the nostalgia factor is undoubtedly high tonight. Though their previously-held title of Perth’s most popular exports may have been ceded to the likes of Gyroscope and The Panics, the pulling power of the Jebs is significant enough to sell out The Zoo days ahead of their first Brisbane show in three years. Their much-loved 1997 debut Slightly Odway was buoyed by a happy confluence of heavy JJJ airplay, an energetic, youthful, almost punk-rock sound, and above all, highly memorable songwriting. While the band haven’t yet been able to re-bottle Slightly Odway’s aural lightning, the enormous crowd response to these songs, eleven years on, is testament to their strength and durability.

Harpoon, in particular, retains some kind of peculiar group therapy effect when sung en masse – a collective wistful lament of partners passed, perhaps. “Look up ‘emo’ on Wikipedia, and that song’ll be the first result!” jokes singer Kevin Mitchell. The band themselves are in extremely high spirits: smiles are exchanged when greeted by the capacity crowd, and they launch into NDC after casually asking what we’ve all been up to lately. “Screw education, get on the dole / Give it up for rock and roll!” is gleefully sung back at the band, who are visibly relieved and thrilled that they’re still considered relevant. Mitchell addresses this point toward the end of the set, while his drummer-brother Brett looks on approvingly: “We took a couple of years off, then decided to come back and play because we love it. But we’d cut a sad figure if we toured and no-one came, so having so many of you show up tonight means a lot to us.” It’s touching, but only for a moment. Of Someday Shambles hit Feet Touch The Ground is passionately reproduced; Vanessa Thornton sways across the stage, leading her bass guitar like a dance partner and making faces at the crowd throughout.

A storming version of Animal finds the band jumping in unison like it’s 1999. A huge grin frames Chris Daymond’s face as he replicates Fall Down’s bagpipe riff on his guitar. Two new tracks are debuted, one of which exhibits an off-kilter rhythm that reminds me of the pirate-like qualities sometimes showcased by locals The Rocketsmiths. The positive response to these two tracks indicates that when the band find the time to record and release their fifth album, they’ll certainly have an audience. In the live environment, the pulling power of their singles is worth the price of admission alone. Please Leave’s “screw up your life again” refrain proves irresistible, while the full-speed, single version of Jerks Of Attention is wholly satisfying. An excited female fan is coerced onstage to sing Teflon, into which Mitchell jokingly interjects the chorus of The Grates’ 19-20-20. A short encore break provokes the crowd to chant for the band’s most popular track, but the foursome surprise by dropping Benedict first. Its preceding Slightly Odway track, Leaving Home, is predictably met with jubilation; Daymond bangs a tambourine for the first verse and encourages the crowd to sing along, though we’re already in full voice by the time Mitchell questions whether we were laughed at by our friends. Unexpected set closer Star Machine is an odd choice to end on, but the crowd’s ongoing support sees the band finally bid us farewell a half-hour later than their allotted time. Here’s hoping that it’ll be less than three years before they stride onto their next Brisbane stage.