Sugar Army@ Capitol 03/10/09

Tue 6th Oct, 2009 in Gig Reviews

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Attention hipsters: If you haven’t heard of Sugar Army, you are missing out on one of the best alternative artists in Australian music. Yes, no exaggeration whatsoever after witnessing their Saturday night performance at Club Capitol for the The Parallels Amongst Ourselves national tour. They’re a tight-knit, well presented quartet with a too-cool-for-school attitude who keeps the talking to a minimum; everything about a band that gives a good live show. Sugar Army has come a long way, from riding in vans down the western coast to playing at family-feud festivals and university open days. Tonight was different, more than just a show on the side. This was their debut album tour, which appropriately wrapped up in home-town Perth where they were welcomed with a decent crowd – from eager punters at the front, to the few enjoying a drink at the back.

What a difference a decent light set-up makes. Red and blue parallel lines (pun most likely intended) decorated the stage while their Phil Collins intro track gave them plenty of time to gather themselves backstage. They opened with the first track off their new album which set the mood immediately with tapping feet, head bopping and a handful of people who sang along. Their sound was impressive even for a small venue, a crisp and clear bass that you could feel from the soles of your feet right into your chest. Unlucky for the photographers who were without a photo pit to snap up their shots, but as the night progressed only very few people bluntly moshed throughout the set, giving them space to move freely. The extremely chilled, but alert atmosphere caught everybody’s attention and guaranteed everybody listening.

“This is the last show of the tour,” vocalist Patrick Mclaughlin announced after performing brand new single Tongues in Cheeks and paused for a hearty cheer. “But y’know, there’s nothing like playing in Perth.” Other crowd-pleasers included No Need for Lovers, Now You’re Old Enough and, best for last, Acute which stirred up the crowd with easy to follow lyrics and killer guitar riff to fade out with. Not bad for a band who still writes their set-lists in red sharpie on torn paper. Twenty dollars well spent to whomever came out, and a big thank you to the boys for once again not failing to impress anybody, especially the home crowd.

Check out our enormous gallery by Stuo and EmElle88