Wolf and Cub, The Scare,Cabins @ ANU Bar, Canberra,(21/06/09)

Mon 22nd Jun, 2009 in Gig Reviews

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I feel like this should start off like an Australia Post ad. Bear with me…

Sundays. Sundays are for moving house. Sundays are for birthday parties and meeting with friends. Sundays are for recovering from the lengthy Saturday nights. Unfortunately, AusPost doesn’t deliver on Sundays, so this ad is as redundant as a job at Freddie Mac. Funny story though, all three of those were part of my leadup to tonights Wolf and Cub gig.

So, how does one make an already epic day more epic? Add The Scare and Cabins to Wolf and Cub and just totally lose your shit.

To sum up this gig in one sentence is easy: This was the best gig I have been to in Canberra this year, if not in the last twelve months. Keep reading to find out why…

Sydney’s Cabins are working their way up and up in the psych scene, if there really is such a scene. Having been enamoured with Melbourne’s Lady Strangelove, it was easy to draw comparisons between the two bands, however Cabins hold the songs a little tighter, which is to their credit. It’s hard to straddle the – œjam’ aspect, without bloating a song out to fifteen minutes. Good band, good sound.

NME darlings from 2007, and what Wolf and Cub frontman Joel Byrne calls – œthe best live band in Australia’, The Scare were the next band on the bill. Pushing new album Oozevoodoo to it’s fullest extent, it was hard to find an older track in the set, which is not to say that the newer songs pail in comparison. In fact, if their live performance is anything to go by, the new album should be amazing, if a little late. Lead singer Kiss Reid announced that the album will come out in August, after release dates of June and February were snuffed out.

Having seen The Scare many times previously, the idea of going to the front of the crowd in the centre is akin to sticking your hand into the lions den, in that you should be ok, but expect some attention. During the course of the set, this reviewer headbutted, and was headbutted by Kiss, as well as copping a healthy amount of spittle, and having a good dance, all in separate songs. The band may not be as dangerous as they used to be (mic stands anyone?), but The Scare back up their rock and roll with some healthy stage presence and still manage to shake up those who venture too close to the stage.

Touring in support of new album Science and Sorcery, Adelaide’s Wolf and Cub performed the best set I have seen this year in Canberra. I’ll admit, I was here to see The Scare, but I was blown apart by Wolf and Cub. Long songs combined with segues between them meant that there was only three occasions where there was no sound coming from the stage during the set.

Byrne fluctuated between lavishing praise on the crowd, genuinely, and then mocking them somewhat for not dancing with him as he broke into the people at the front. Apparently, Sunday’s are for sleeping, since we’re working for the Government tomorrow, if Joel Byrne is to be believed. If Wolf and Cub ever fall through (God forbid), AusPost’s ad agency might have a job for him.

In what was a fitting farewell, Wolf and Cub ended their set with the crowd poised for the obligatory encore. The lights were still set for the show, the crowd barely moved, and claps were registered, however they didn’t come back out, and thank God for that. Treat – œem mean, keep – œem keen, and I will certainly be back to see them again. You should too.

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