Mat McHugh and the Blackbird @The Toff, Melbourne (12/02/09)

Sat 14th Feb, 2009 in Gig Reviews

For anyone that enters the Toff, overlooking Melbourne’s busy Swanston Street, the one word that springs to many minds is – œintimate’. Inside, a room that would comfortably hold no more than a hundred people, comprised of coffee tables and candles, perfectly set up in front of the stage. A perfect sound system that does not blast hearing away, however allows you to murmur thoughts about the act to whoever is standing beside you.

The night started just shy of 9pm with support act, Cats are Black, taking the stage. Surprisingly, the lead singer, Matt, was the tour manager for The Beautiful Girls and had put his new band together in just under two months. This was evident in the bands performance, who started off very sketchy and unable to capitalise on the closeness that the venue provided. Matt confessed of his nerves a few songs into his 35 minute set which seemed to loosen the band up, who finally showed what they were made of , singing the song Mary, a country number, which revealed the talent that these two musicians have.

The underlying impression that Matt gave off was that he had more of a voice than he believes in. Many notes he seemed to let slide, when his body language suggested differently. The punters prayers were answered in the final song of the night The Beaver Trail Leads to The Country which contained heavy guitars, thumping drums and amazing vocals. Whilst it was unfortunate this talent did not come out until the final song, it was evident that with some confidence this band could make a name for themselves on the music scene.

From the moment that Mat McHugh and the Blackbird set foot on the stage, it was evident that many fans were here to experience a somewhat altered version of The Beautiful Girls. Opening with Darling, This Scene Must End, the band had the audience within the palm of their hand who took in every beautiful note the band echoed. This choice of opening song sent the message that tonight was going to be laid back, calm, and mellow, somewhat different to what The Beautiful Girls would offer, however this style moved into a faster, upbeat number, Loneliness.

The Blackbird band had no issue with interacting with the crowd, with McHugh telling many stories regarding the songs that would soon follow. Not only did this make the next song more meaningful, the crowd was often still chuckling by the time the song was underway, with lines such as – œThis next song is not a love song to a girl…more a F**k you to a guy… and a f**k you in a non sexual way’.

This interaction with the crowd created a respect between the two parties, with the band really showing Melbourne that they are genuine, and they do love what they do. McHugh only increased this respect, taking a break between songs to talk to the audience about the music industry, more so the issues that he felt were troubling the industry as it is currently. The underlying message that was pushed was that it was more up to the fans as opposed to the – œcorporations that run this industry’ to get the music out. – œWhat we need is people like you turning up and supporting real, independent Australian music’. This was warmly received with an ovation from the crowd. The band then ripped into the next song which was – œnot one of theirs, but still one of the most enjoyable parts of the set’, entitled Dela. This song had the entire audience singing along, something that put a smile on every band member’s face.

After finishing the set with crowd favourite The Bottle, the band left the stage with McHugh returning for a solo performance of Numb. The simplicity of no instruments added to the raw and honest style that was present, complimenting it and bringing it to everyone’s attention. The band returned at the conclusion of this song where McHugh gave a speech in regards to The Beautiful Girls, appropriately, just before he finished the night playing their songs. – œIt’s my music, and I love it. I don’t think a label of a band should stop me playing my music. It’s all the same, and I hope you appreciate it’. Melbourne obviously did appreciate it, with many in the audience singing, dancing, and tapping their feet to Freedom.

McHugh left the show on a good note, informing us that – œthe word basement, when jumbled up, makes the words…(drumroll)...Bat Semen.’ With the crowd still laughing at the unexpectedness of this line, the band opened into La Mar to close the night.

All in all, the venue was a perfect location to host the acts, with McHugh even stating that – œfor its size, this is the best venue to play at in Australia’. It seemed that all of the audience (and the bands) left feeling like they had had an amazing night, evident by the swarm of punters thanking all the musicians involved at the end of the gig.