The Melodics, Low Budget,Dexter, Mu-Gen, TaikOz @ TheHiFi, Melbourne (28/08/09)

Sat 29th Aug, 2009 in Gig Reviews

It’s not very often that a relatively new local act can draw out a capacity crowd in the same way that international acts do for large rock concerts. But as Melbourne band The Melodics launched their debut album 4d at the HiFi last night they’ve shown that locals can still match it with the best and proven once again, why they are a band to watch.

It was somewhat of a deceptive start to the night with very few present for DJ Mu-Gen and his opening mix. But it wasn’t to say that the vibe was dead, with punters chatting happily and enjoying a drink; some even having a bit of a boogie. As the crowd starting filling in getting bigger and better, so too did the music. Having entertained crowds at various events including Splendour, it was unsurprisingly really, when Low Budget took to the stage and punters suddenly came forward to – œfunk it up’. After some fun band/punter interaction, DJ Dexter continued the trend, spinning some tracks as a throng of people drew closer to the stage, dancing the night away in anticipation of the main act.

When the moment we’d all been waiting for finally came, the HiFi had become a sea of bodies as The Melodics hit centre stage. Guest musicians from TaikOz opened what was to be a stunning set, and once all members of the band were under the bright lights, they played a few classic tracks from their Live From Nowhere EP including Lover and Travelling. Cash.Sex.Cool also got a feature, including some dreamy vocal echoes from Oceans Baroque with a cool sax and bass funk fused together from Tarko Sibbel (Fantastic Mr Fox) and Jamie Barlow.

Lead vocalist Jeremedy then climbed atop the DJ’s table to tell us all a few stories before launching into Brave New World, featuring Sibbel’s awesome work on the synth, showing why their trip-hop trance twist sounds work so well. There was also an abundance of guest artists on the night, particularly in Maple Leaf Rag. With producer Jan Skubiszewski on guitar and horn players Peter Slipper and Adrian Shaw, they created a brilliant infusion of jazz and electro funk with their bright brassy lines.

A song about superheroes was next as Jeremedy told the crowd, “I wanna see you put your fist in the air and your hand on your hip – you’re gonna be a superhero.” And with a mass of hands in the air, grooving and dancing to the music, it seemed the punters believed they were heroes indeed.

The highlight of the evening came through a special visual treat from the band. As punters put on their 3d glasses for the new track Afterlife, watching a 3d clip of outerspace and the earth; the cool lighting effects complimenting the funky tunes.

A small tribute to Skubiszewski’s brilliant work came before Pop Culture, which again featured the amazing talents of Sibbel. His impassioned sax solos had some reverb to great effect and were complimented by some smooth and sultry vocals from Baroque and Jeremedy. The lighter shades of jazz subtly hidden beneath the electronica-rock/hip hop sounds were blended together superbly.

Even at the end, these seasoned performers could do no wrong as The Melodics brought the show to a brilliant climax. But that wasn’t really the end after all, for the crowd wasn’t going anywhere, calling for an encore inside the darkened venue. They wouldn’t take no for an answer, persisting until the band finally responded to their chants. The Melodics returned to the stage, not for one song but two, entertaining fans for another 15-20 minutes.

At times it seemed like the crowd was far too packed in with the HiFi closing the upper level, but perhaps this was intentional to create more of a moshing vibe closer to the stage. The mass of sweaty bodies and waving arms rocked together to the pulsating energy of the band, the sounds pumping through from the floor.

And like they opened the set, the boys from TaikOz returned once more, this time missing a few shirts, but thumping the drums in style to close out a truly rocking night. As bassist Jamie Barlow said, “This album took us a lot of time, energy and money to create, so it’s only natural we’re going to launch it in style!” And launch it in style they did. It was a long time coming with a huge build up to the show, but what a spectacular evening.