Boom Crash Opera @ TheGovernor Hindmarsh, Adelaide(12/06/09)

Tue 16th Jun, 2009 in Gig Reviews

CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS HERE.

Before the week started, I had a fairly hazy memory of Boom Crash Opera. Upon hearing they were coming to town, I decided it would be a good week to relive some childhood memories and promptly bought their best of. During the week I would stop at traffic lights with the windows down, and feel almost embarrassed as I realised I was enjoying this gloriously dated pop rock at high volume. It seems there are aspects of their music that connect with me in the same way that the current swag of 1980s-influenced electro pop does. Fluoro sneakers and animal print leggings do this too, but I digress…

There was some natural apprehension when I found Taxiride were supporting. Unlike BCO, I thought it may not have been long enough since I’d heard Taxiride’s cheesy, lowest common denominator pop daubed across FM radio, but ultimately I decided to go along with open ears in any case.

The stage was set-up for a pretty gentle start to the evening – three stools, three microphones and half a stand-up drum kit. Taxiride took to the stage, sat down and started strumming. Odd.

The once-successful top 40 pop rock act looked rather constrained by the acoustic format, though their original sound was never far removed from this bedrock. It seemed as though they were trying to play a full production gig on acoustic instruments – I’m sure with a little reworking, their hits like Get Set and Creeping Up Slowly could’ve worked in a traditional acoustic scene, but as the songs were structured, they seemed to want to take the energy much further than their instruments would allow. The juxtaposition of their crowd banter was just as striking. “Who can’t wait to see Boom Crash fucking Opera, motherfuckers?!” is not what you expect from three seated gentlemen playing acoustic instruments at The Gov. More suited to the acoustic setting were their harmonies. Often striking and creative, all three members were having little difficulty impressing the crowd with their voices – they haven’t lost it yet.

At the conclusion of Taxiride’s set, I began to worry when roadies didn’t rush onto stage to replace the half drum kit. It became apparent that we were in for a night of Boom Crash Operetta; in keeping with the theme of Dancing In The Storm, the Liberation Blue acoustic disc that compiles unplugged reworking of their best-known songs. No big kit, no towering amps and speakers or racks of guitars. One of the greatest strengths of Boom Crash Opera is their high energy. Taking the boom and crash out of BCO leaves the whole live experience feeling a little unfulfilled, like U2 without effects pedals.

The mostly original lineup has still got it together musically, they all still hold a tune. Even Peter Maslen – forced to play simple cut back grooves on the stand-up kit – was still incredibly tight and solid. I was impressed.

The crowd were absolutely smitten by the band. Seemingly not at all fussed by the lack of the full production; the tunes more than made up for it. Onion Skin got the largest crowd response for the night including an unprompted chorus sing-a-long. Nine songs provided a short and sweet set, which consisted mostly of their hits, as there wasn’t much room in the setlist for lesser known or newer songs

Bruce Springsteen’s I’m on Fire provided a beautiful start to the encore, Hands up in the Air. The gig ended in classic Aussie 80s rock style with The Models Out of Mind, Out of Sight. Sean Kelly(original Models guitarist) came on stage to join Taxiride and some embarrassing middle aged drunk women in what seemed more of a party on a stage than the final song of a gig. Once again the crowd loved it.

CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS HERE.