It was a chilled-out little winter’s night that saw The Evelyn slowly fill until it was impossible not to bump in to a smiling face. The traffic flowed around the room with dreads, flannelette, corduroy, tight-jeans, skinny-jeans, loosened end-of-week suits and any other outfit you’d care to imagine combining to confirm that this crowd knew what they wanted to see. This was a knowing crowd. They knew The Benson Campain, they knew their tunes and just as interestingly, most of them over a period of years had come to know the band personally, which made it clear they’d seen this band before and were returning for more.

This was a well worn tale of a band that had organically grown their audience from friends, to friends-of-friends, to locals won through residencies and continuous gigging then to the beginnings of a national network, won through months of touring and supporting other artists. This gig was a celebration of the end of one of these cycles. It had been months since their last Melbourne show and a loving crowd was ready for action. They’d been quite wonderfully warmed up the solo-folk groove of Austin Busch and then former Triple JJJ Unearthed winner Abbie Cardwell with her soul/blues/folk numbers. Hers was a short but lively set that got everyone’s cold bones moving, so when The Benson Campain came on stage the crowd was warmed up and ready to go.

Kicking off with My Guitar a jangly, feel-good favorite off recent EP Half Moon the band clearly wanted to keep it loose and fun. It was uncomplicated and easy and gave the crowd the freedom to make their own space to dance if they chose to do so. Resplendent in brown suits, drummer Nik, bassist Matt and guitarist/vocalist Ben had the crowd in the palm of their hands. At times they could have gotten away with just about anything and still, they would have had the adoration of the crowd.

Not letting the evening become dull, musical guests started appearing on stage with each new bracket. These were the highlight moments as a wild-haired violinist joined to fill the space of a slower number then switched to electric guitar to add some meat to the next new song. This was the first of a raft of new songs that had a much meatier, rock ‘n roll feel to them; it was a welcome forecast for the future of the band.

The relaxed beach-folk rolled on but as if to mark a new era for the band, newly debuted songs quickly became the benchmark for future shows. At times building up like more straight-forward Eels-like moments, the new tracks pulled away from the chilled out, feel good territory of some of the bands earlier work and the band pulled it off with class. As if to physically mark the transition, lead singer/songwriter Ben then allowed his dreadlocks to be shaved off on-stage with the remnants strewn around the room; single locks being carried off as souvenirs in to the night. One couldn’t help but wonder if the decision to remove them might be regretted come morning but as if a burden had been shed, the music itself kicked in to overdrive.

The final portion of the evening saw more new tunes spun out with raucous abandon. The energy level was raised through more surprise guest musicians, beat-boxing, a twin drumming assault that fuelled the crowd in to the night and the finale that was played out on the floor of the Evelyn to a stir-crazy crowd who were now up close and personal. This crowd had hoped for genuine intimacy and they got it from an act that had become friends to them. It was the farewell they had hoped for and all left happy, sweaty, smiling and contented.

So it was hello and goodbye from The Benson Campain for the next little while; it was another success in the rise of an impressive local artist. This crowd would have been happy to have heard more of the same but were surprised by the addition of a bigger, more exploratory sound. For a group with only one studio E.P. up their sleeve it was a sign of great things to come and a true statement as to why The Benson Campain is a name worth noting next time it appears on our fine Melbourne streets.