Sparkadia, Hot Little Hands,Oh Mercy @ The Corner Hotel,Melbourne (18/10/2008)

Thu 23rd Oct, 2008 in Gig Reviews

The Corner Hotel is a Melbourne music icon. This means engaging (and usually interactive) live music every week, despite the beer soaked sponge that might be mistaken for carpet, reverberating acoustics and that damn pole that seems to inexplicably shift position for optimum irritation. Understandably the hotel is also a Melbourne pisshead icon. Which is of course great, although hoards of drunken lyrical wailings will ultimately influence the atmosphere on stage somewhat…

Oh Mercy is one of those bands that make you want to buy their t-shirt today, so that tomorrow you can say you saw them first. Their croony country-alternative sound is pitched perfectly by lead vocalist Alexander Gow – a variation of a 1950s greaser who keeps his hair super slick and his guitar hitched high. Vocally Gow is very enjoyable, lulling his way throughout reflective lyrics comfortably. Together with Thomas Savage slowly kneading away at the keyboard and Eliza Lam plucking at her bass strings with the fervour of a pensioner in a hammock, it makes for an intensely relaxing experience. However it has to be said that the whole – œintense’ game works best when contrasted against lifts of energy – there was very little of that going on here.

In fact, for the most part you could assume the band was being powered entirely by Angus Tarnawsky at the drums, lashing his arms against the kit with a beaming smile. (Tarnawsky is one of those drummers you assume was put into music class as a kid to dispel the kind of energy which would otherwise be harnessed to destroy his folks’ collection of crockery). I bloody loved it. Sadly it wasn’t until their closing song that I think the group really enjoyed themselves fully, rising to the levels of convincing enthusiasm Tarnawsky had been urging them on with previously. This was a right shame because the young performers really know how to play! To end the set Gow pulls out a harmonica (seemingly from nowhere!) and gives it a good Bob Dylan go before tossing it to the ground and approaching Savage at the keys. Well played. Oh Mercy know what they’re doing, and shouldn’t hesitate to do more of it.

So you’ve heard of Hot Little Hands. Their music swaggers and smirks, using a 70s smut-strut to singlehandedly obliterate the term – œattitude’. This translates from recording to stage well. Very, very well. Vocalist/guitarist Timothy Harvey shifts between sliding guitar improvisations and pop hooks, mixing things up “like a fresh pair of underwear”. Highlighting this – œbecause we can’ attitude is China Harvey at the keyboard, decorated by an inexplicable feathered headpiece… Why not? They come in nice and early with the Triple J favoured Dynamite In Black And White, packing a whistling audience close to the stage. The fantastic thing about Hot Little Hands is their meticulous delivery: each tambourine shake, four-part harmony, rim shot or bass rhythm is right on the mark. They run a tight operation. Especially impressive were performances of All We Care About, Easy Way Out and of course the smoking Hott City. If the audience were initially reluctant to move, their feet were quickly pried from the floor with a hybrid of 1960s/1980s glam. This movement was doubtlessly assisted in no small part by Raph Hammond who absolutely dominated his trumpeting. Evidently putting a huge value on live performance, these guys have a good thing going on.

It wasn’t until a shift of lighting invited Sparkadia to the stage that the resident Corner drunkards came out to play. Sparkadia have a great deal of movement to their music, giving them a hugely optimistic sound which lends itself nicely to the debut album title Postcards. Although such similarities in wistful reflection-pop could be drawn between Sparkadia and Coldplay or Ben Lee, the Sydney born band are far from typical. Perhaps owing to the quantities of beer being thrown (literally) around the venue, there is a lively strength to Sparkadia. The band introduced themselves to their boisterous audience with The Kiss Of Death – a melodic, hand-clapping guitar pop classic. Followed closely by Too Much To Do and Help Yourself, their titles might suggest a penchant for pragmatism. However optimistic their sound, lyrically Sparkadia are realists. A – œtell is like it is’ attitude to their music is certainly a pop rarity, contributing greatly to the band’s genuine persona.

Swaying heavily in appreciation of the swelling ballad Connected, the crowd are falling (or stumbling) for Sparkadia. The beauty of live music is that regardless of the sound you may find on a recording, it invariably mutates in response to the energy of an audience. In this case the band threw back just as much enthusiasm as they were receiving, emphasising the pub-rock sound which would otherwise barely underline their music. Vocalist Alex Burnett settled into the theatrics of his performance easily, using the much loved shifty eyes expression and an occasional yowl to communicate the colourful character of Morning Light. Following suit by pulling on a piano accordion, Tiffany Preece braced herself for The Last Thing You Need which nurtured the audience craving for a good old drunken sing-along.

It would have been nice to make more of the accordion, which seemed to be included for more of a visual effect than an audible one. Although with melting harmonies like this, it becomes an easy thing to overlook. Burnett then thanks us for “being beautiful”, before tackling down a punching rendering of Jealousy – a far louder version of the song than I’d have thought possible. Regardless of the impact a loving audience may have had on Sparkadia’s music, their melodic foundations were never diluted. The general consensus of the evening is probably best expressed by a couple of inspired mates I overheard conversing post-beers: Sparkadia really are a “lyrical miracle”. (I love you too, man.)

CHECK THE PIX FROM THE SHOW HERE