The Seabellies, Parades @Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney(18/03/10)

Tue 23rd Mar, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Opening the bill for the night was local Sydney band Megastick Fanfare. Diffused in the red and blue hues of the stage lights, the heavy jungle beats of the drums and the wail-like calls from the frontman transformed the venue into an exotic, earthly realm. Slightly Animal Collective in their sound, the echoes and trills of the band’s instruments fuse together to create an experimental pop orchestration that plays with the senses.

As part of the “Young Cubs and Past Lives” tour, The Seabellies brought to the stage an enthusiastic vibe with new single Young Cubs as a follow up from their previously released Orange X. The jangly beats and steady drumline of the new song are familiar indie pop tunes akin to that of their LP. The band utilised their multi-instrumental set-up to great effect, presenting a cohesive onslaught of songs that were controlled and yet did not lack in energy. Orange X saw the appearance of the movers and shakers in the crowd advance to the front where frontman Trent delighted with his strong vocals, Steph happily bouncing alongside, tambourine in hand. Once again, The Seabellies proved their ability to entertain with a live energy that is compelling and a sound that is upbeat and infectious.

Rounding out the bill and making up the second-half of the “Young Cubs and Past Lives” tour is art-rock Sydney band Parades. Their newest single Past Lives is a testament to the four-piece’s ability to generate an ethereal alternate rock sound that is potent and atmospheric. As part of their live show, high female vocals add an otherworldly presence to the band’s layered tunes. Piano chords, guitar riffs, and electronic warbles are orchestrated in such a way so as rise with power and gusto and fall with delicacy and fragility. Their song Hunters employs this model of execution, starting out soft and climaxing with harder guitar riffs, pounding piano chords and a cavalcade of drumbeats. Parades pandered to the audience’s visual and aural desires, putting on a performance that ranged in tempo with band members alternating instruments every now and then, yet still maintaining that sound of understated beauty, which they laced throughout the entire set.

The “Young Cubs and Past Lives” tour sees the perfect pairing of these two bands exude their sounds across the states, providing an aurally stimulating womb in which to immerse music revellers.