Easy Star All Stars @ TheCorner, Melbourne (11/04/09)

Mon 13th Apr, 2009 in Gig Reviews

I’ve never been a fan of cover bands, so when Easy Star All Stars’ Dub Side Of The Moon came out about six or seven years ago I thought some half arsed butchering of Pink Floyd’s classic album. Surprising, it turned out to be an album crafted with love and care and quickly became a favourite late night soundtrack. Since Dub Side Of The Moon they have released an album of Radiohead covers, RadioDread, and the current album Lonely Hearts Dub Club Band.

The Easy Star All Stars had a hard road against them from the start because to cover such a classic, universally-loved material and to completely turn these songs on their head is no easy task, but they have set a new standard on how music can be interpreted and valued. They opened the night up with the title track from Sgt Pepper’s, the crowd were more than pumped and the band were on full fire for the rest of the night, the next few songs were A Little Help From My Friends which was a great crowd sing a long moment, then for a complete change of pace they burst into a schizophrenic version of Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite which had the lead singer almost launching himself into the crowd.

One of the most impressive aspects to the line up is that nearly all the players double up as singers as well, so when the female singer took over for the lead vocals of Paranoid Android it took on a completely different meaning and feel. Thom Yorke has one of the distinctive and interesting voices in rock sounding very androgynous on many Radiohead songs so to hear a female do the whole song it seemed quite weird and strange because it lost the male aspect of the song.

The best part of the show was in the second half it was when they did a number of tracks from Dub Side Of the Moon they kicked it off with a beautiful version of Breathe. I’m sure there a heaps of Pink Floyd fans out there absolutely that were ropeable that anyone would mess with such a masterpiece, but I’m quite sure if they were to hear the version of Great Gig In The Sky that was performed on Saturday night they would change their minds immediately.

I haven’t ever used the word gobsmacked ever in a review but after witnessing that version of Great Gig In The Sky I think it is the only appropriate adjective to use. I was completely spellbound by the intense beauty the band brought to that song.

The gig on Saturday night established that the Easy All Stars are not just a cover band but a band that plays with love, as well as respect for the original material and adding their own unique touch to well loved classics.

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE GIG HERE