Expectations were fairly high for the first Perth visit by Canadian indie “super-group” The New Pornographers, however as the band took the stage the sold-out Rosemount Hotel was greeted with what threatened to be the mother of all anti-climaxes. No Dan Bejar. No Neko Case. No bass guitar. No big surprises with the former 2, though a disappointment none-the-less. Thankfully the latter problem fixed itself after a minute or so of silence and spluttering feedback, and they were able to kick things off with Challengers opener and album highlight My Rights Versus Yours.
As the giddy rush of Use It and All the Things That Go To Make Heaven and Earth showed, head Pornographer (never thought I’d write that in a concert review…) Carl Newman is able to pen the kind of flawless pop that should be shoved down people’s throats on 96fm. Unfortunately, like fellow recent touree Black Francis, maturity for Newman appears to have resulted in a move towards the indie approximation of adult contemporary. As Bejar and Case seemingly drift further into the periphery, the raw spontaneous thrill of Mass Romantic and Twin Cinema has made way for a mellower textured sound on last years Challengers.
As you would expect, the set relied heavily on that record, and it suffered somewhat as a result. It lacked the vibrancy and diversity of the group’s earlier work, and where a Jackie, Dressed in Cobras or Myriad Harbour would have helped, Bejar wasn’t there to play it, though Testament to Youth in Verse did get an airing. Mid-paced and workman-like, it felt as though the band were simply going through the motions. Though their playing could not be faulted, the performance lacked the X-factor that makes a simply good gig a great one, and efforts were made to appease a somewhat restless crowd with references to the Go-Betweens and Hoodoo Gurus amongst the typical tourist in Australia chitchat. Sorry Carl, there is nowhere within walking distance of the Rosemount that you can hold a koala, though you can smuggle budgies at Scarborough beach, which isn’t too far away.
Thankfully, the show ended on a high. Buzzing with a notable distinction to the majority of the set, Sing Me Spanish Techno and Bleeding Heart Show featured late and drew the biggest responses of the night. A cover of ELO’s Don’t Bring Me Down closed the main set, and Newman seemed to take the title to heart in choosing a perfect Mass Romantic encore double of Execution Day and The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism.
While nothing can detract from the melodic magic the full New Pornographers are capable of in the studio, the live experience that is effectively Carl Newman solo doesn’t particularly add anything to their legacy.
Earlier, local indie-popsters The Bank Holidays played support with a jauntily quirky set of well-crafted tunes in pitch-perfect 3-part harmony. Would-be 60’s hit Tread Easy is serious evidence that they know their way around a melody, though that said, the notion that every song played was another cheque for Belle & Sebastian Bank to cash was inescapable.
