The Dirty Secrets andSkybombers @ Spectrum, Sydney(11/04/09)

Tue 14th Apr, 2009 in Gig Reviews

Admittedly I had to well and truly drag myself to Oxford Street on Saturday night. No question I do adore the rain, but after having my umbrella sat on by a large dog (pretty sure it was an accident), the prospect of heading out unprotected at the mercy of some impish clouds that could at any moment give way to a deluge was not an attractive one. (I would have bought a new umbrella if it weren’t for this economy.)

Fortunately the swirling melodies of the delightfully unassuming Sydney-based four-piece Chambers had me cheered up in spite of myself, as they opened The Dirty Secrets’ national tour to a decent-sized crowd at Spectrum. A visually miscellaneous group – from the inexplicably shirtless frontman, Yeo, to the lanky bass player Benjamin, who would sway and contort himself around his guitar like a deer suddenly forced onto its hind legs – Chambers charmed the room. Their hypnotic combination of heavily-layered guitars and drawn-out vocals, provided a shoegaze-like experience with a refreshingly earnest edge.

The Dirty Secrets’ tour mates, Melbourne-based Skybombers, followed. They brought with them those sweetly accessible, pop-friendly melodies that have won them the favour of MTV, Sony BMG and scores of young fans in the US. Certainly ones to watch in 2009, this nice-looking high-energy four-piece is led by Hugh Gurney, who’s as charismatic as his guitar strings disposable. Their recent single, If You Want To Be The One had the crowd especially enthralled, with its strong vocals and hooky aesthetic.

For those wondering what happened to punk rock since the likes of Sum 41 et al. effectively euthanised it, you can find it chillin’ like a mischievous poltergeist in the crawl space of the Skybomber’s solid wall of raw 1960s-influenced garage pop. This might explain the broken instruments mid-song, Gurney’s brilliantly recovered-from on-stage tumble, and the generally shambolic conclusion to their indefatigable set, but it could just be their obvious penchant for the unadulterated chaos of rock – œn’ roll.

When headliners The Dirty Secrets finally took to the stage, they brought with them a distinct air of maturity. Their grubby-haired new-wave rock hinted at the unmentionable experiences brought about by the band’s inception in 2004. Turns out there is something in a name after all. Having relocated that afternoon to Sydney from their roots in Perth, the Secrets kicked off their national – œHeat the Beat’ tour with great aplomb. They betrayed nary a sign of travel fatigue, nor the urge to dash home and get the unpacking out of the way.

An important tour for the four, it will take their fast-paced, heady brand of highly-textured synth-rock to every corner of the country – stopping in on some of the rural nooks and crannies along the way. Showcasing last year’s self-titled debut LP (which was recorded and mixed in the US by Nick Terry, the man behind the phenomenal Klaxons debut) The Dirty Secrets turn out a slick, solid set.

It’s always a delight to see the oddly beady-eyed frontman, Jarrah McCleary, effortlessly combine his one-handed keyboard skills with some robust vocal work. The whole operation is drenched in an epic Bloc Party-esque drama, exemplified by the much-hyped lead single, Five Feet of Snow. This natural grandeur inherent in their live performance will likely see The Secrets continue to win fans during the Heat the Beat tour. The band should convince the country, as they did me, that their sound is just too big to be confined to such a modestly-sized room.