Bluejuice, The Holidays andthe Trivs @ ANU Bar, Canberra,(15/04/2010)

Tue 20th Apr, 2010 in Gig Reviews

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The ANU Bar was packed to the rafters on Thursday night when Bluejuice hit the town, bringing with them their electrical blend of hip hop, rock and danceable electro. The funky five played to a full house and showed Canberra just what they’re made of in karate outfits (that didn’t stay on for too long) and a show so energetic, you could feel your brain trying to explode the longer you tried to stay still.

Along for the ride was Sydney’s The Holidays, delivering to an intent crowd a relaxing foray of indie rock with accents of soul pop. Kicking things off was Canberra indie darlings, The Trivs who, despite some poor mixing, got the blood pumping in the cold stiff limbs of the eclectic crowd clustered around the stage and with that premise the night was all set to rock and roll.

Hailling originally from Dubbo, NSW (_NB: Hometown heroes!_), Canberra’s favourite hunky indie band led a fine start. Looking a treat and playing their trademark brand of addictive rock, the boys seemed a little high and mighty with minimal crowd interaction and stiff postures. Regardless, they ploughed on with their trendy tunes that despite having neither a chorus or hook still manage to be inescapably catchy. Mixing left much to be desired (the legendary ‘support band’ switch must have been flicked on at the mixing desk); the melodies were drowned out by the muffled feedback from the mic and at some points the vocal levels were almost cringe worthy but despite this the prominent bass levels added a fun dance feel.

Playing alongside one of Australia’s hottest live acts mustn’t feel entirely easy for The Holidays but with a fresh and stimulating to the ears set, the ‘straight up and down’ indie aficionados are sure to stick around and put their own stamp on Oz music. Featuring keening vocals, groovy bass lines and oh-so drum beats, The Holidays proved really pleasant and easy to listen to but definitely not easy-listening; you couldn’t move for fear of breaking out in radical dance. Their music held a boppy blend of instruments with an almost reggae-like undertone through use of bongos and other odd percussion instruments not usually found on today’s indie-alternative stage.

Not surprisingly, the band jumped on the bandwagon (so to speak) with the group-drum breakdown – a staple across live shows lately, but they pulled it off with an air of skill and excitement that has eluded past bands attempts. Disappointingly, their stage presence was a bit on the stale side (we’re talking two weeks mouldy), and it gave the impression of arrogance. Regardless, they introduced a new vibe and exciting sound to Canberra.

At a little after 10, Bluejuice rolled onto stage and pulled out the old karate outfits for this leg of the tour, with all the band members dressed like pre-pubescent black belt hopefuls. As per the usual Bluejuice way, those matching costumes didn’t make it past the second song and out came the bare torsos; ribs and hair galore. Always a delight to watch, all the stops came out; synchronised dancing, projection display, stage leaps and even a Happy Birthday sung just for drummer James.

Unleashing some newbies that are sure to appear on their new album (Stav let it drop that they were expecting a June release), the audience took them in stride, the most notable being You Haven’t Changed, sure to be another alt-smash. Through the unfamiliarity peppered randomly in the set came the good ol’ classics, Vitriol was welcomed with a resounding roar and not a single foot was left on the ground after Broken Leg.

Despite putting on one of the most energetic shows the ANU Bar has surely ever seen, it was a little underwhelming. Crowd interaction felt forced and the overall presence on stage was contrived and distant. It felt more like Bluejuice was performing at the Big Day Out as opposed to an intimate closed venue which was a little disappointing.

CHECK OUT THE PICS HERE!