Dead Letter Circus, Rook andMelodyssey @ Corner Hotel(15/11/2008)

Thu 20th Nov, 2008 in Gig Reviews

Walking into the Corner Hotel on a miserable Saturday night, all signs pointed to a good night – Muse blasting from the speakers, the buzz from the crowd anticipatory and the occasional member from all three bands popping up here and there

Kicking off proceedings on the night were Brisbane rockers Melodyssey, continuing their tour in support of their album The Two Windows. The steadily growing crowd slowly quieted down as the band proceeded to warm the crowd up for what was going to be a loud, powerful night of rock. The set featured old favourites as well as a smattering of tracks from the new album, garnering an appreciative mob around the stage.

Next up was Melbourne rock stalwarts Rook, who have just completed an extremely successful tour in support of their newest offering Add On Colour. Much to the delight of the patrons, Rook provided a powerful set, keeping the adrenaline pumping and the crowd morale high.

Dead Letter Circus didn’t keep the crowd waiting long. Hitting the stage shortly after 11pm, it appeared from the word go that the band has definitely taken many great strides forwards since their last appearance in Melbourne. The boys appeared cohesive, more confident and definitely more relaxed about being on stage. Vocalist Kim Benzie has in the past missed a few of the high notes, much to the distress of the die hard fans, but even they tonight were impressed by the fact that he was simply spot on. Guitarist Rob Maric was as impressive as ever, albeit his usual serious self. From thrashing out the classic opening riff on Disconnect and Apply to coaxing out the delicate undertones of Alien, Maric is so comfortable on stage, one could almost say he’s on autopilot. Cue the Tequila Roadies on stage, and Maric breaks out into a rare grin, surprising more then a few punters catching their breath between songs.

Bassist Stewart Hill is clearly the most animated member of the band, perhaps with the exception of Kim Benzie. Flaunting the scruffy hair style, his ability to bend backwards at practically a right angle is almost as impressive as the impish grin that stretches across his face from the moment he walks on stage, fingers dancing across the strings. One can’t help but admire drummer Luke Williams’ dedication to his art though. Having already appeared on stage earlier with Melodyssey, whom he also drums for, he appears as fresh as ever, systematically thumping his way through the crowd pleasing set as fans sang and moshed along to their heart’s content. Next in Line, and Lines closed out the hour long set, which reached its climax as Benzie encouraged everyone to shuffle closer in order to crowd surf. Upon returning to stage, an avid fan was lucky enough to join the band on stage briefly.

The lack of an encore didn’t faze the audience as much as the news that they would have to endure a five month wait for the band’s return to Melbourne, which would see the release of the long awaited debut album from the band. Tonight showcased a return to the live performance Dead Letter Circus are known for, and it appears likely that the six months or so of mediocre, flat line performances are well and truly behind them.

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