Tame Impala, Jonathan Boulet,The Laurels @ The Hi-Fi,Brisbane (02/10/2009)

Thu 8th Oct, 2009 in Gig Reviews

There aren’t many artists that can sell out not one, but two tours in Brisbane, within the space of ten months, before even releasing a debut full length LP. Such is the hype of Tame Impala, that the final tickets are snapped up at the door for tonight’s show at The Hi-Fi, with the rarely used mezzanine level chockers and the usual shitfight downstairs for beers in full swing by 9pm.

The Laurels are kicking things off this evening and have a few mildly interested punters seated on the floor for the duration of their set. Their music in is the same vein as tonight’s headliners, and is not unlike the sounds of Brian Jonestown Massacre and the earlier work of The Dandy Warhols – albeit with a front man with half the charisma of Courtney Taylor Taylor. While we’re not hearing anything that hasn’t been heard before, the group are committed and sound good, and certainly set the tone for the evening.

Jonathan Boulet is up next and seems an odd choice to support with his pop-folk melodies; a stark contrast to the genres of the other artists on the bill. It starts out well – the crowd responding to a change in tempo, in particular to the jungle-style drumming introduction to Ones Who Fly Twos Who Die. Sadly the interest doesn’t last – while the talent of Boulet is evident, the band’s inexperience shows, and they come off sounding like a poor man’s The Middle East. The crowd don’t buy it this evening, and by the end of their set we are more than ready for the headliners.

Tame Impala stroll bare-footed on stage and begin jamming with an unfamiliar opener that introduces the audience to their guitar heavy, Cream-like, neo-psychedelic rock. It’s all very nonchalant until the crowd comes to life as the band launches into its most recent single, the dreamlike Sundown Syndrome. Channelling sounds akin to The Doors and The Beatles in their Revolver days, the beautiful melodies are complemented by singer Kevin Parker – œs vocals, which sound much stronger than on record and slice through the air creating a striking contrast to the summery distortions that float beneath. It’s a beautiful song, and as Parker almost snarls – œYou will never know / How hard I try’, you can almost hear the tugging of heart strings around the room.

The audience enthusiasm picks up a notch as the group teases us with a deliberately drawn out introduction to Half Full Glass Of Wine. A modern day Sunshine Of Your Love, this is the song most have come to see, which is reflected in the sudden mass of hips shaking all across the floor. The band grooves their way through the song until an extended jam midway highlights the limitations of The Hi-Fi as a venue. While the guitars are clearly heard, the ceilings are high and the distortion only travels so far before it seems to hit an invisible wall, rather than clinging to the air to create the warmness and fuzziness that goes hand-in-hand with psychedelic rock.

This problem continues into Desire Be Desire Go, as Parker seems to mumble his way through the song – a reflection of the sound system as opposed to his diction. The scent of marijuana is wafting from the pit yet the moshers seem agitated, to the point that drummer Jay Watson has to ask the pit to stop the push and shove. Everyone settles as the strobe lights begin for Skeleton Tiger, which becomes the highlight of the night. Parker and Paisley Adams – œ twangy riffs soar, before a deafening drum solo and an ebbing guitar chord progression sees the audience clapping along in unison.

The group showcase a couple of songs from their upcoming LP with riffs and jams reminiscent of Wolfmother and Kyuss furthering their already distinctive sound. The songs all sound very strong but the electricity in the room falls just short. While much of the appeal of Tame Impala lies in their no-fuss hippie approach, as they start to fill venues of 1000+ capacity the danger of losing the connection with their audience is inherent. By no means are they boring and sterile at present; the glimpses are there but come the summer festival season, their stage presence and intensity will surely have to lift. It’s a small difference that’s required, but the difference that would have made tonight’s good show great, and future great shows fucking awesome.

The band launch into their final song, their now signature cover of Blueboy’s Remember Me, which rouses the pit and ends the show on a high note. As the group leave the stage and the crowd filter onto the streets, we’re left with an amiable feeling. Not completely satisfied, but definitely excited for what’s to come.