Tucker B's @ The Tote,Melbourne (13/06/09)

Mon 15th Jun, 2009 in Gig Reviews

Wearing matching black leggings, t-shirts, aprons and flamboyant black novelty hats, the Tucker B’s made a concerted effort to entertain their audience on Saturday night. They play loud and angry music dispersed with sprinklings of lighter, ambient tones and although these guys like to joke around, at the same time they are serious about their music, a contrast that is reflected in the constant changes in their sound. They kicked off their set with First Born Son, a spooky tune that, coupled with their outfits, felt like what the soundtrack to the storybook Where The Wild Things Are would sound like. After the first song one performer exclaimed that his instrument was made from human skin, setting the tone for the rest of their set and making the launch of their album Chubby one to remember.

Next up was Mothers, a light-hearted tune that paid tribute to mothers and prospective mothers, including those who will be mothers by the next morning! Fire had a mellow melody that was contrasted with an angry, school-boy-arsonist attitude as the lyrics “set it on fire” made sure the audience was awake. Band members stomped out the beat in what looked like big white slippers wrapped in white bandages to resemble smurf’s feet.

No Lazy Deaths was like a soft lullaby among other heavier songs Good Bits, Authority and Cop that were played loudly and dramatically. The more metal-like moments were popular with the audience and there was head-banging going on both on and off stage. At one point the singer/bass player was fighting to get to the microphone as the singer/ guitarist blocked it by pushing the head of his guitar into it, an example of the kooky moments that littered their performance.

Bear, a song spoke of getting drunk before noon in a playful up-tempo style with a quivering lead guitar, was well received. Lord We Are Your Playlord moved from light into heavy euphoria and was popular with the crowd judging by the collective head-nod to the beat. They finished off with The Legs, again a track composed with both ambient instrumentals and blasts of metal energy. The lyrics “you’re all gonna die, cos of what you did”, rang out as a sort of sombre declaration of revenge and the band engaged with the song and its story with ferocious intensity.

The highlight of the set was when one of the guitar players performed a sort of star wars fight scene, challenging and fending off his fellow band members with his guitar like it was a light saber. Once they had cowered to one side of the stage, he rolled around with his guitar in a sensational manner like a wizard conjuring an evil cacophony. There were few dull moments.

Like a child with ADD, their music exploded with intense rage before returning to a calm state. They performed like young boys, play fighting and annoying each other for amusement – guitar heads were used to tap drums and drum sticks were used to slide along guitar necks. Although this chopping and changing between genres and volume could be difficult to adjust your ears to, the theatrical nature of their performance kept your eyes glued to the stage and your adrenalin levels high to the end.

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE GIG HERE