Leader Cheetah @ Capitol

Mon 30th Mar, 2009 in Gig Reviews

Of late, it could be said that it’s hard to find a film that you can’t predict the ending to, read a book where you haven’t already heard the story before, or hear a song where you don’t say – œthey sound just like…’ But we may have found a new sound at Capitol on Saturday night, as the Adelaide foursome Leader Cheetah opened to give an original performance that left the crowd surprisingly satisfied.

Playing their debut album, The Sunspot Letters, to a growing crowd who were nodding their heads and moving to the rhythmic beat. The band have fused folk/country and alternative/indie rock resulting in a moody and melancholic sound. They somehow get this weird combination to work. The twanging bass worked well against the rock beat and the poetic lyrics avoided a depressive edge thanks to their echoey-layered delivery where each word ran into the next. Echoing the deep lyrics, bassist Mark Harding created a terrific harmony underneath.

With Harding in oversized headphones and front man Dan Pash’s extra long guitar strings, a well-loved flanno, leather waistcoats and jeans, their creative look embodied their eclectic sound. Perth, a country city at heart, responded to their folksy rock with acceptance. Leader Cheetah had a level of professionalism surprising in such a young band, and the equal of those they supported. Instead of stage antics to impress the Mob waiting for the headliners, Leader Cheetah just played their music and let it speak for itself.