Spun Rivals, Cast and Crew,Sean Ainsworth @ TheBirmingham, Melbourne(24/10/08)

Thu 30th Oct, 2008 in Gig Reviews

Iconic Smith St venue, the Birmingham has a slogan pasted over the outdoor board claiming “The Birmingham- it’s not shit anymore!” Formerly of neo-Nazi repute, The Birmingham over this year has become the newest respectable live venue in Melbourne, hosting local heroes like Oh Mercy, Plastic Palace Alice and the Greasers. Stepping into the Birmy tonight, there was a different air about itself.

Sean Ainsworth is something very special watch. His solo shows are consistently intimate as he exhumes a down to earth persona, joking and playing with the audience and encouraging participation. From his lyrics, you can tell he loves women, and heartbreak is his biggest muse. Drawing inspiration from Radiohead, Phoenix and the Beatles, Sean Ainsworth’s solo shows catch the spillages that don’t quite fit in the psychedelic/folk rock glass of his band The Fearless Vampire Killers. With The Fearless Vampire Killers supporting stellar bands like Tame Impala and The Hives, it would not be hard to assume that these solo shows will either become fabled memories or a leverage point for his solo work.

With the audience steadily building at the Birmingham, Cast & Crew provide a smooth transition from Sean Ainsworth’s pop musings to the climatic electronic whirrings that Spun Rivals are so renowned for. Providing dark landscapes with tom heavy drums and distorted guitar solos, Cast & Crew performs with rigour and expression, gyrating across the small Collingwood stage. It’s at this moment you remember the Birmingham used to be like this- men clad in leather and black denim punching out guitar solos, riffs and morbid lyrics (although thankfully, without the Nazi sympathisers) and it really suits the venue. Refreshed to hear a melding of the past and present Birmingham Hotel, the audience were appreciative of Cast & Crew’s performance. Although vocals could be explored with some occasional shouts and screams to give the songs that extra little bit of room to move, Cast & Crew should most definitely be playing at similarly themed Bang or Next if they haven’t already- and you should most definitely be there.

Upon first glance when Spun Rivals take the stage, you notice a few mysterious gadgets hidden in dark corners of the stage but the curiosity is brushed aside as singer Rich Davies introduces the band. With a thick Scottish accent and similarly thick black glasses, Rich hypnotises and holds his gaze over the audience with his lovable attitude and discerning jokes. Spun Rivals first song, Jarvis (perhaps a satirical jab at the singer’s own glasses?) is a discordant bliss of noise, layer upon layer of very well rehearsed and technically astounding production feats. Throughout the set, bassist Clayton Pegus scrambles and stomps alongside Rich, finding pedals and knobs to twist and twirl to create the Spun Rivals experience as drummer Matt Ryan even finds a way to experiment with assorted rim taps and time signature changes.

The scope of emotion in Spun Rivals’ songs is triumphant; during the tyranny of We Fixed Heads with Chemicals, Rich Davies face became wet with tears whilst An Ordinary Man creates a melody like Radiohead’s Just that will stick in your head for days to come. The epochal 1998 is a fine example of Davies witty and strong biographical lyrics that are cemented by an army of noises when seen live look like a series of science experiments. The energy of the band begins to take over as the set grows, by the poppier Goodlookin, Clayton throws his bass guitar across the other side of the room, the audience winces and so does he. It’s relieving to see a musician genuinely care enough about his instrument so much that with Pegus’ meticulous throw it lands on the couch opposite the stage.

By the time the E-bow is brought out in peculiar fashion (with a bulldog clip and a piece of string attached) the set is winding up in a musically extraordinary way. All band members soaked in sweat, audio levels are played with by the comparatively quiet glockenspiel during 1998 that quickly careers into a mind blowing finale and an onstage mess. The Spun Rivals left their audience speechless at the sheer energy and brilliance that possesses the band. From the lyrics to the songs themselves, each one is crafted meticulously into an epic experience with vocals strong enough to make Matt Bellamy seem a cheat. Spun Rivals are the real deal.