I really couldn’t think of anything better to do on a balmy Melbourne Cup Eve then to head down to The East Brunswick Club with a couple of friends to chill out and enjoy some live indie-pop.
First up for our night was Brisbane four piece Little Scout, consisting of Melissa Tickle (bass, vocals), Patrick Elliott (guitars, vocals), Miro Mackie (drums, glockenspiel) and Laura Kovic (piano, glockenspiel, vocals). Little Scout won me over straight away with their pleasantly surprising beauty and sweetly complex indie music. Boasting the dual vocals of Tickle and Elliott, Little Scout delivered a great performance, channeling the likes of The Waifs and Angus & Julia Stone, in regards to both their lyricism and bevvying array of musicianship – who doesn’t love a good Casio mouth organ? Though the band works well as a whole, I must now make special mention of Tickle’s voice, as it provided a hauntingly beautiful foundation for the rest of Little Scout’s dreamy sound to build from.
Next up were headliners The John Steel Singers, a six piece ensemble also hailing from Brisbane, who have been kicking around the festival circuit for a couple of years now. They’ve crafted an eclectic freeform style of music that sounds a lot like the lighter moments of The Cure (think Lovecats ) mixed with the indie rock sensibilities of Spoon.
The tracks Strawberry Wine and the new single Masochist were highlights in an already high caliber performance, with each member really bringing their all to the show, especially Pedro and Scott Steel, on the trombone and trumpet respectively. Creating a fun, upbeat atmosphere in the band room of The East Brunswick Club, The John Steel Singers brought a smile to the face of every member of the audience. In an unconventional finale they closed out their killer set by inviting the opening acts back up on stage, as well as a couple of audience members, for a wild stage party that included such shenanigans as multiple drummers, men riding men, a lost shoe and a feathery Indian headpiece. Now really, what more could you ask for in a great night of music?
