The Demon Parade @ FadGallery, Melbourne (28/11/09)

Mon 30th Nov, 2009 in Gig Reviews

To launch their limited 200 vinyl run of the double A side Surreal/Beyond Us The Demon Parade have something special planned for the night. For one thing the venue seems to be tailor made for the event with its retro furniture and pop art adorning the walls Fad Gallery oozes cool. The crowd too spills style out on to the floor but still manages to be friendly and approachable. The DJ lays down tunes both familiar and obscure from the likes of Spiritualized, The Kinks, The Stone Roses and The Brian Jonestown Massacre between acts so that there is never a sense of waiting.

The first act up is The Kicks who later let us know this is their first gig, no one would have guessed judging by both their confidence and skill. Musically they aren’t the down cast psychedelic shoegaze band I was expecting from the night. Sure there are slight psychedelic undertones but the carry a more upbeat sensibility that ties them closer to the pop punk of britpopers Elastica.

In fact bass player and singer Neige Koppes voice bears a definite similarity to Justine Frischmann. Neige and sister O, on guitar, lead the band in an energetic, happy and take no shit way that reminds of other strong female leads PJ Harvey and Brody Dalle. Together with Aaron Ronaldson on second guitar and Zac Hodgkinson on drums the girls lead the audience through a fun filled romp. Ronaldson in particular shows chops through out with his hectic upbeat drumming throughout. Of particular note is the most psychedelically infused song, Like I Do, which ever so slightly strays from the more punk tinged numbers. The band close with Anything on Neige brings forth an immersive bass line lacking in earlier tracks.

The second act of the night is The Priory Dolls, who I initially find less appealing. However they’re one of those rare bands that grow on you the more you listen until you can’t help enjoying everything they do. They play more contemplative pop reminiscent of several less successful Britpop bands such as The Boo Radleys, Ocean Colour Scene or in particular The Auteurs. In fact just looking at the band they radiate with the colour of Britpop. Singer and guitarist Jeremy Mair looks disturbingly like a young version of Cast’s John Power while bass player James Payne is straight out of Suede, with his big collared purple shirt and floppy hair. So while I can never see them being my favourite band the more I listened the more I enjoyed them and judging by those around me I wasn’t alone. The highlight for me was the dark and steadily driven Poison Arrows.

The one thing I’d emphasise about The Demon Parade is that they are not a ballads band. It’s all about rock as it should be loud, violent and dangerous. They kick off deceptively slow with a building soundscape which leads into the Like Ivy before getting into new single Beyond Us. Michael Badger’s voice echoes Peter Hayes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club as he sings through the refrain of, “Come on, come on, don’t let anybody down.” Beyond Us is a great track but it is a tough comparison when the bands older songs are as good as Evolve and All The Cool Kids. The band is joined by Sean Ainsworth (of The Fearless Vampire Killers) on tambourine for Afterworld before launching into the second single track Surreal. Surreal is in my opinion the superior of the two single tracks coming off like Tomorrow Never Knows played by Oasis.

The unrecorded new track Spiralling blows minds with its swirl of guitar and keys. It’s fantastic to see a band that can maintain its intensity for the entire show with bass player Rob Bryers in perpetual rhythmic motion, Badger throwing himself around the stage and Greg Dempster an animal set loose behind the kit. The lighting is enhanced too making use of a strobe and brightly coloured floor lamps. The only qualm I have is that Whill Dempsey’s keys are too loud in the mix, it isn’t so bad as to impact the overall sound it just tends to override the guitars at key points. The band close with the always impressive God Said It’s Legal on which Badger shows adeptness at creating impossibly catching refrains before throwing mic stands in a closing crescendo.

Everything about the night reminds me of the stories of early nineties Britpop clubs, emanating a vibe of creativity and innovation in a pastiche of the past. It’s fantastic to experience the growth of a scene before explodes into the mainstream, which after this night I have no doubt it will.