Kram, Jackson Firebird @Northcote Social Club,Melbourne (2/04/09)

Sun 5th Apr, 2009 in Gig Reviews

Having not yet heard Kram’s solo album or Jackson Firebird at all, I went to the Northcote Social Club with a blank set of expectations. Jackson Firebird roared into action with their first single Bottle Bin. Drummer Dale Hudak raised audience interest, hunching over the front of the stage slapping his arms and face into the titular Bottle Bin and Electric Dish Board with startling ferocity. As guitarist and vocalist Brendan Harvey rips through throaty blues and slide guitar riffs before announcing the social club as a,
’...damn fine establishment.’

Hudak soon retreats to the drum kit proving that if faced with a brick wall he surely would have punched straight through it. Brendan takes a break from the slide, instead rocking out with some intense riffing. Summing the band up perfectly himself when he growls, ‘I’m gonna get heard…OOOWW.’

Two piece acts become dull very quickly, but Jackson Firebird infuse their performance with such raw energy and movement that their brand of dirty garage blues is kept fresh and exciting throughout. They even seem to compete with each other for speed at various points, their playful rivalry demonstrated by their on stage banter. Harvey, ‘Serious bar chords there,’ ‘Yeah…that’s a complicated song that one,’ Hudak jokingly retorts.

Coming off like a combination of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and the Black Keys, Jackson Firebird could sit easily up there along side bands like the Kills. Knocking microphone stands over, throwing aside the Bottle Bin and climbing on top of his drum kit Dale showed the blatant rock star disregard we so love to see, taking to a megaphone for closer Shake the Breakdown. Kram couldn’t have asked for a better support Jackson Firebird, building the crowd for what’s to come. ‘Kram’s coming to put on a god damn, mother fucking Rock Show,’ Brendan shouts in 411 Positrac. Although I guarantee at least 99% of that audience hadn’t heard of Jackson Firebird before the night there was a sizeable queue at the merchandise stand immediately after their set, and I count myself among them. New fans were most definitely won over at the social club that night.

After an over long wait between acts, Kram saunters onto stage armed with a cheesy grin and confident swagger, proceeding to introduce the band. The crowd has swelled forward and suddenly we are thrown more balls to the floor rock as the band cranks through Good Love. Unexpectedly Kram jumps around stage unleashing Elvis like poses with Dale Hudak of the Jackson Firebirds taking his place on the drums. Ash Naylor (of Even) and Andre Warhurst (of Spoonful and Silvernight Drive) trade blows on duelling guitars looking like men born to rock and who will die rocking too. After three or so Rock songs Kram moves to a Wurlitzer organ and we begin to see the rumoured eclecticism of the Mix Tape album.

Slowing it down he plays through some soulful road blues. He then informs us that he wrote the next song on his keyboard, that he purchased for the princely sum of 28 dollars. Dropping a tacky drum machine beat, from said equipment, he transfers to acoustic guitar and runs through a Gomez like electronic infused blues number.

Throughout the night Kram shows his versatility by moving between instruments (vocals, guitar, keys, harmonica, and drums) and styles. Running somewhat unsuccessfully through a Dylanesque folk number (struggling on the harmonica), various country numbers and bluesy soul before returning to the Rock the crowd seemed most intent on. At this point Warhurst seems to flare up climbing onto the fold back speakers, leans over the crowd and raises the guitar up high. We get what we expected with an impressive drum solo from Kram during Live Along Time, soon transferring his antics form on stage to off stage, passing through the crowd, microphone in hand.

Highlights from the night included non album tracks Tear It Up and Outer Space as well as attractively catchy first single Silk Suit on which he tries his hand at groovy Eagles of Death Metal style rock. However strangely he chooses to close on a down tempo Eagles-esque style country rock with Down the Line before returning for a single encore.

He digs at his own rock star image claiming, ‘I also need my sunglasses to protect myself,’ before closing with just vocals and a steady drum beat. The crowd claps along enthusiastically, then in an amusing anticlimax he shouts to the crowd to repeat after him, ‘HOAH.’ ‘Last time, HOAH, thanks for coming.’ drops his microphone and walks off stage without another word.

I may not have heard either act before the night but I was quick to rectify this by pursuing each acts respective releases. The Social Club hasn’t rocked that hard since the Pixies secret show in ‘06.

CHECK UT THE PHOTS FROM THE SHOW HERE