The Decemberists, Bridezilla @Billboard, Melbourne (25/1/10)

Thu 28th Jan, 2010 in Gig Reviews

First up were Sydney-siders Bridezilla, behind enemy lines in Melbourne for their Laneway appearance. Bridezilla are a hotly tipped act, scoring enviable press and coveted support slots in the past year or so. They’ve played All Tomorrow’s Parties, they’ve buddied up with Wilco – it sure bodes well for the group.

However a large portion of the set was strictly devoted to a kind of plodding, moody rock, in which certain instruments and their parts were sadly not as distinguishable as required. The ensemble, including saxophone, violin and keys at any one time, too often bled together into an uninteresting noise. The simpler compositions were far more effective in showcasing the band in full flight, but Bridezilla aren’t a simple band.

I can see the appeal, and I can see fans of The Decemberists flocking to them: it seems to me they rarely stray from a carefully-crafted template, building each song around an identifiable tone. The result is that there are variations on a theme, but its a familiar theme. Its a theme that has been executed with greater scope for intrigue. The fact is, Bridezilla have been beaten to what they are, and as far as I can see, bested at it.

After that The Decemberists appeared and everybody went mental. And that was the common thread throughout the set, really. If the entire venue weren’t completely wild in their appreciation for the band, frontman Colin Meloy and co would do their utmost to squeeze it out of them. But we’ll get to that. The band at once launched into The Crane Wife 3, the exhausting epic The Island following shortly after. Meloy is completely comfortable with the mic, prefacing most songs with stories, as well as friendly banter with the band and its fans alike. The Apology Song proved memorable in its back story, whilst favorite O Valencia was a favorite for all in attendance.

It was around then that everything seemingly shifted into a forgotten gear, the show ascending into a glorious kind of madness. 16 Military Wives saw the room literally divided at the whims of Meloy, each side prompted to ferociously repeat the la-de-da hook back at the other. As if that weren’t enough, Meloy and guitarist Chris Funk soon sparred with their instruments until each man threw their bodies to the crowd, to be carried over the pit and back to the stage as The Chimbley Sweep rolled on.

As you might imagine, the crowd were white hot. But I should point out, the band, shenanigans aside, were pretty special themselves. They project their brand of folk-rock effortlessly with a pleasant precision, The Decemberists proving time and again they are quite the polished outfit. The encore featured a cover of The Go Between’s Bye Bye Pride, and a brilliant epic in the form of The Mariner’s Revenge Song. It would be the last of the set, but it would also be the song in which everyone screamed to emulate the terror of being swallowed by a giant whale. Really.

The Decemberists’ exciting ability to engage with their fans is something I haven’t seen for a long time. The sheer entertainment of this gig could only be rivaled by the notable perfection of the music itself. There’s more I could say, but it all adds up to one simple piece of advice: go see them.

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