The Dandy Warhols @ The EnmoreTheatre, Sydney (31/10/08)

Tue 4th Nov, 2008 in Gig Reviews

CHECK OUT THE PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE SHOW HERE.

The Dandy Warhols have gained a reputation as a band with an unbelievable live act, filled with energy and great music. At their Halloween show at the Enmore Theatre, The Dandy Warhols did not disappoint, reaffirming their status as a must-see live band.

After a solid but unspectacular 30-minute set by opener Downhills Home, the sold-out crowd of over 2500 people, plus four cameras circling the stage, stood in eager anticipation. A wall-sized purple and gold Dandy Warhols banner hung from the back wall, with five columns of color-changing LED bulbs in front of it.

As the band filed onto the stage, the fans roared in approval. For the first few songs, the Dandy Warhols looked stoic, playing well but with little intensity. The fans in attendance responded accordingly, lightly bouncing along, even clapping in tune to We Used To Be Friends.

The band, and the crowd, started to gain more energy by the time the Dandy Warhols played early favourite Not If You Were The last Junkie On Earth early on in their set. As the show went on, the band members slowly began moving and dancing on stage and outwardly exhibiting an energetic playfulness. Throughout the show, lead singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor exuded charisma, from his constant casual parting of his hair, his ironically short tie and his soft, short banter with the crowd.

As the set went on, the band and the crowd slowly gained more pace – especially after Taylor-Taylor donned a gray fedora and announced the camera crew would film the concert’s performance of their newest single Now You Love Me for the song’s music video. While the crowd had been responding well to the band’s song choice, the fans at the Enmore exploded when The Dandy Warhols played Bohemian Like You in the middle of the set, taking the energy level of the show up.

Afterwards, almost everyone in attendance danced, shook or jumped uncontrollably. The ground shook, not from the bass, but from pounding feet. The Dandies cranked up the energy with Bohemian Like You and never took their foot off the gas. After that, the band pulled out all the stops, including Taylor-Taylor playing percussion on (You Come In) Burned and Kia McCabe playing harmonica for The New Country, with guitarist Peter Holmstrom playing guitar with a bow.

The Dandy Warhols looked stoic at the beginning, but by the end of the show everyone in the band was rocking out and the crowd fed off everything. Musically, the band was spot on throughout, playing together with a crisp, fun sound. Throughout their two hour set, The Dandies moved effortlessly for pop to rock and psychedelic.

The Dandy Warhols did not play an encore, but based on the blanket of beer cups inside and the throngs of people lingering outside, few people who attended the sold-out show left disappointed.