Kid Sam, Mick Turner, Seagull@ The Northcote Social Club,Melbourne (03/04/2010)

Wed 7th Apr, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Check out photos from the Northcote Social Club here

First up were Seagull who (besides having the typical indie appearance plus a balding guy with a medieval haircut on accordion) come across as a mixture between Radiohead/Thom Yorke and early post-rock. The fact that their stage show is nothing special is made up for in the quality of the music itself; when playing by himself singer/guitarist Christ Bolton uses his loop pedal to full effect with layer upon later and when with the hold band they’re able to full off complex interplay. The only down side is faster songs like Baby, which don’t work as well for Bolton’s singing style as the slower songs like Dust Storm.

Normally when reviewing a solo artist who has a more famous main project/band it’s generally unfair to compare them with said band, but with Mick Turner it’s unavoidable. Playing with drummer Ian Wadley, his style is quite similar to the Dirty Three minus Ellis, with Ian playing in a similar style to Jim White and Mick still his quiet self but with a loop station and some bowed guitar thrown in. However, there are important differences between the acts. Mick’s shows are essentially minimalist/ambience based with pieces that fade in and out and the guitar loops propel the music forward instead of the melodies provided by Mick, such as on Neither Here Nor There. In other words, if you’re looking to mosh then Mick’s not for you, but if you’re interesting in chilling out then by all means check him out. It’s a pity though, given the stage show was pretty much non-existent, that there wasn’t a slideshow of Mick’s art or the like to add visual interest.

Kid Sam started things off with their new video for We’re Mostly Made of Water, featuring a split screen with two characters walking in opposite directions along the same suburban street. Seeing a video straight off of the band you’re about to see is a little surreal, but at least it was a good video. Following that, Kid Sam began their set with Mirror Drawings, with its wonderfully off-kilter clashing note guitar line.

The best way to describe Kid Sam is post-rock, but not in the ‘slowly-building-fifteen-minute-guitar-lines’ kind of post rock, but the kind of rock that is meant to come after rock i.e. post-rock. Incorporating folk and jazz style singing, unusual timings (e.g.: the 2/4 Landslide), unusual drumming (e.g.: the cymbal scraping of Mirror Drawings, and the fact that Kishore Ryan uses cooking pots), and good guitar comping make for a highly original yet accessible sound.

On stage, the band were great to watch as well, as singer/guitar Kieran Ryan locked into the groove and hypnotically swirled around stage, and the night was enhanced with Chris Bolton joining them on a couple of tracks like the live version of We’re Mostly Made of Water, which had a surprise live ending after Kieran broke a string. The use of acoustic guitar, melodia and xylophone for the haunting Close Your Eyes and it All Goes Black was a nice touch as well.

Eventually the night ended on a high note: an encore performance with Down By The Cemetery to full house applause.