Bedouin Soundclash, Moneen,The Audition, Attack In Black@ The Annandale Hotel, Sydney(24/02/09)

Thu 26th Feb, 2009 in Gig Reviews

Tonight’s show at the Annandale was about giving some of the North American acts from the massive Soundwave bill a chance to shine in front of people who, for whatever reason, didn’t get to see them at Eastern Creek Raceway.

For example, you might have been still on your way to Soundwave (or in the long queue to get in) when Attack In Black performed at 2.30pm on Stage 5. Appropriately enough, I was still on my way to the Annandale when they opening tonight’s proceedings, so I too missed their brand of ‘folk infused’ punk-rock. Sorry. Apparently they were quite good.

While Chicago punk-pop band The Audition were performing on Stage 6 at Soundwave, you were probably watching The Bloodhound Gang, or maybe you were eating a dubious burger. Judging by their performance at the Annandale tonight, you didn’t miss much. My notes from the evening say three words: “Four-piece. Generic.” That’s probably being a bit kind.

Next up were Moneen. If you missed them at Soundwave, you’d have missed how their incredibly violent thrashing about and angry, shouty songs contrasted with their rather polite between-song banter. They kept me amused while I waited for tonight’s headline act.

At Soundwave, Bedouin Soundclash were in the unenviable position of performing at exactly the same time as Nine Inch Nails. Against such a formidable act as NIN, it’s hard to believe that anybody at the festival was watching them at all. At the Annandale, they were again going head-to-head with NIN (playing across town at the Hordern) but at least tonight they had their own army of fans to support them.

I (along with many other people) first encountered the Canadian band thanks to their 2005 single When The Night Feels My Song , a massive worldwide hit which distilled the band’s reggae/rock sound into a perfect, joyous three-minute pop song. But I had very little idea what to expect from them as a live act. The band that greeted me onstage was a five-piece, with founding members Eon Sinclair (on bass) and Jay Malinowski (on lead guitar and vocals), joined by a drummer and a two-piece brass section.

Opening with Shelter, they grabbed the crowd’s attention straight away with their enthusiasm and big, big hooks. The band’s fusion of North American indie guitar music with ska, soul and reggae works exceptionally well, with the trumpet and trombone backing to the songs lifting them to musical heights generally out of the reach of more traditional indie bands. A highlight of the hour long set was 12.59 Lullaby, introduced as “a song for everyone who’s ever had to say goodbye to someone forever” and performed solo, demonstrating the singer’s rich, gravelly voice and ear for a melody.

By the time the band began strumming the opening chords to When The Night Feels My Song, there was a big grin on the face of everyone in the packed crowd. Live, the song is as satisfying as it is on record. It was followed with a euphoric version of Nothing To Say, which brought the night to a close – its big, football chant refrain ringing in the ears of everyone as they left the venue.

Bedouin Soundclash may not be able to compete with Nine Inch Nails, but those that found their way to the Annandale tonight enjoyed an intimate performance by a bunch of great musicians who deserve to be playing to much bigger crowds.