The Middle East @ NorthcoteSocial Club, Melbourne(12/06/09)

Tue 16th Jun, 2009 in Gig Reviews

First up support Dick Diver exhibits a youthful enthusiasm, oversized tee-shirt wearing female drummer, fresh-faced leads and musical energy to burn. Wet-behind-the-ears they may have appeared, but there sound was thoroughly engaging. Seems like someone forgot to inform all the punters of this fact as they were seated at Dick Diver’s feet, swaying along like they were watching a Joan Baez performance. Come on folks if its early arthritis settling into your 20-something bones then fair enough, if its nothing that ails ya, then stand the fark up already and get into it! How would you feel if you were a rock band trying to inspire a response whilst playing to people sitting on their arses from the outset?

Grand Salvo is a peculiar one for mine. More to do with his live performance that was just too stillborn in its presentation. I know that’s his (Melbourne folk troubadour Paddy Mann) bag but live I want more than to just stare stupidly at minimalist finger picking and stage persona. That said, Mann writes a good tune and I guess it was more his words that sucked me in towards the end of his set if nothing else. Oh, and why would the aforementioned arthritically-challenged sitters be standing to this and not the first act? Interesting choice.

Townsville’s indie folk collective comes to The Northcote Social Club on the back of much punter/critic love and hype, and the need and want to prove the critics wrong who aren’t sure how the North Queenslanders would back up the dreamy The Recordings of The Middle East EP and make it engaging live. Triple J Unearthed and signed to Spunk who reissued the bands initial 2008 release of the aforementioned record, The Middle East enjoyed a recent career highlight in January via the support of Bill Callahan.

Tonight the band have chosen the Northcote band room to accentuate the bands hauntingly wafer-thin musical aesthetic, ticking all the boxes in terms of cut-through sound, diversity and vocal interplay between the three main leads. Not only does the outfit create pastoral soundscapes tonight, but angelic harmonies mess with devilish riffs on several occasions with the – œit’ factor well and truly established after only a handful of tunes were delivered.

Close compadre of The Middle East, Nathan Roche in flu-affected croaky drawl introduces the show with some spoken word from his freshly-inked novella about old Bill Jeffries who grew up on Spaghetti Westerns, before the band appear on stage. Melodious art rock immediately cuts through to the bone in terms of sentimentality, and the joyous outpouring of emotion, much like the feeling received when engaged in the dulcet tones of a Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear or Fleet Foxes. This comes courtesy of the sublime group harmonies provided by Rohin Jones (guitar/vocals), Jordan Ireland (guitar/vocals), and Bree Tranter (Keyboard/Vocals).

With the rhythm dictated to us by Javed Sterritt (drums/percussion/Glockenspiel) and Tim Barwise (bass), the multi-instrumentalist force was provided by Joseph Ireland and Mark Myers (trumpet/guitars/percussion/flute/piano accordion). With seven band members all together on a small stage, there was the risk of overplaying or overcrowding the sound but The Middle East worked their etherealness to within an inch of its life, putting on a majestic, lush and surprisingly explosive show with key vocalists/guitarists Jones and Jordan Ireland moving from a whisper to a scream on early openers Hunger and Lonely, then heartrending vocals on the electricity-charged Spell.

Soft warm tones are heard on the weightlessness Wonderful with the soothing flute playing and sparse Will Oldham vocal setting the tune up as an early highlight. Through Time Until provides an up-tempo colonial twang shuffle complete with harmony and piano accordion action, and its amazing to watch such maturity rise to the surface when the revolving carousel of instrument swapping gives off a definitively seasoned free form and folk inspired feel to the showcase.

Whilst radio hits, The Darkest Side and Blood receive the as expected biggest cheers, interestingly there are songs played this evening that are on a par or even better. Fools’ Gold is testament to this and shows off a man-choir with Sterritt, Barwise and Myers falsetto burst working in total harmony with the meandering three way lead vocals. The encore of Mark’s Song again features the three vocal leads supporting the slowburn approach of Mark Myers delivery (who’s now up front on the lead). The song ebbs and flows, with the keys outro by Tranter and guitars building to a gentle trot before breaking into a full-blown gallop drawing the irrepressible performance to its fitting finale.

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE GIG HERE