[ME], Gladstone & Lochaber,Hunz @ The Troubadour, Sat 24Jan

Mon 2nd Feb, 2009 in Gig Reviews

The Australia Day long weekend has well and truly arrived and after wading through hordes of inebriated Valley revellers, The Troubadour’s cosy, red velvet-adorned stage is a welcome sight. With firm knowledge that fantastic support acts are a Troub tradition, tonight’s independent music extravaganza kicks off in fine style as local laptop guru-cum-Thom Yorke’s spiritual compadre Hunz assumes control. Augmented by spiralling 5-string bass runs and tasty, trigger-assisted drums, the facial hair-sporting, keyboard-ambushing artist unleashes a number of thoroughly convincing, melodically complex numbers with twice the fire that Pivot usually allow for, gaining a number of new disciples (including this writer) in the process.

Next on, fellow Brisbanites Gladstone & Lochaber should have probably learned that sheer earnestness does not compensate for near-total absence of crowd interaction, no matter how heroic their stage antics or guitar workouts are. Despite drawing a considerable number of people to the stage, the majority of G&L’s reverb/echo-heavy set collapses into a sludgy, predictable indie-rock stew which is only somewhat spiced up by a pulsing, airy U2 detour (which is still hardly The Temper Trap’s Sweet Disposition) and a French song in open E that manages to successfully marry The Stranglers’ La Folie to Logic Will Break Your Heart-era Stills.

Freddy Mercury circa Bohemian Rhapsody? For real? Sure, why not – stuff The Darkness! The mighty Queen could not perhaps ever thought of better heirs than Melbourne’s [ME], and the immediate general consensus among the packed venue is that the fresh-faced quarted are fucking excellent musicians who could give The Fleet Foxes a run for their money with their harmonic vocal interplay (no joke). Whether it’s the histrionic soaring crescendos, juicy Brian May-style hammer-ons and fretboard fireworks or the grandiose, Muse-reminiscent piano breaks, the kids are simply more than alright – they are on fire. Working the heavily perspiring crowd into fervour with their own, exquisite brand of theatrical rock, [ME] apply a killer final touch by executing a tribal triple drum assault. Get back to Brissy soon boys – you fucking rock!