You can tell a lot about a band by the fans they attract, and the crowd at Amps tonight were an indication of what to expect from Glasgow band Camera Obscura. With a mix of ages from twenties to mid fifties, the crowd was filled with vintage dresses and red lipsticks, accompanied by boys dressed like writers and artists. It was a crowd who would have insightful conversations about literature and travel while enjoying a nice red. Which are, aptly, the things Camera Obscura sing about.

Sheffield duo Slow Club will be struggling to maintain their current low profile in Australia, after their supporting national tour. Taking advantage of the opportunity to veer away from their usual set-list of album tracks, they opened with the wistful Wild Blue Milk. Following with an apology for their poorly tuned guitars (‘if anyone even noticed’), the duo launched straight into some newer tunes where Rebecca Taylor switched her acoustic guitar to play stand up drums, which she stuck to for most of the set. Taylor’s drums punctuated the raucous toe tapping folk pop songs that elicited a more than encouraging response from the crowd. Dance along tunes such as Trophy Room, Gold Mountain and Giving Up on Love showed off the energy and heart Taylor and Charles Watson pour into their performance, and it really is infectious.

Not only did Slow Club catch the crowd off guard with their performance, but Taylor was winning as many laughs as hearts with her charming banter, including a story about being caught without her pants during a fire drill. Her off beat humour was a contrast to her remarkable voice. As Watson took a back seat for album track Sorry About the Doom, Taylor reclaimed her guitar to accompany her rich vocals. Her voice has all the character of a folk musician, without the annoying idiosyncrasies usually attached. Combined with Watson’s harmonising, the duo created an on-stage presence and sound that seemed beyond their size.

The short support set left the audience desperate for more, with a sense that this could have been the headlining act. And as if to prove the point, the merch desk sold out of their albums before they had left the stage.

It’s been three years since Camera Obscura visited Perth and tonight’s crowd were glad to have them back. Currently touring the critically acclaimed album My Maudlin Career, it was the title track that started the set. The combined skill of the musicians left no room for mistakes, and throughout the show the band played flawless recreations of the recorded songs. In fact, you could have just been listening to their album, particularly through the first half of the set. The band themselves looked not just disinterested, but bored. The audience were hesitant to admit it, but most agreed with the drunk who yelled at Tracyanne Campbell to ‘fuck’n smile’- it’s generally nice to feel like the band is enjoying the show as much as you are.

Two of the stand out songs from My Maudlin Career appeared back to back, mid set, with The Sweetest Thing and French Navy lifting the energy on and off the stage. Both tracks were reminders of the indelible melodies found on Let’s Get Out of This Country, and the audience response would suggest that this is the sound that most fans have fallen for. Leading into the penultimate song was Lloyd I’m Ready To Be Heart Broken with its organ intro and string parts proving why the band needs so many members. The final tune of the evening was the title track from the current album, raising a shuffling and swaying dance floor, in preparation for the encore.

After a little more of a wait than expected, the band returned to the stage with Campbell explaining that, rather than just lapping up the cheering adoration, they’d actually been locked in the backstage stairwell. After the brief interlude, the band continued with two final tracks; the perkier Come Back Margaret and finally the shimmering guitar sounds of Razzle Dazzle Rose.

Despite their lack lustre performance, the audience lapped up every note offered them, and while some might say that Slow Club stole the show, Camera Obscura still had a place in everyone’s heart.