Big British Sound @ The Metro,Sydney (07/05/2010)

Mon 10th May, 2010 in Gig Reviews

When a company like Ben Sherman decides to pay homage to Old Blighty with a live showcase featuring some of Australia’s best young musical talent, you know it’s going to be an unusual affair. Make no mistake, Big British Sound at Sydney’s Metro Theatre was no cookie-cutter corporate gig.

The Brit clothing label, whose brand image is steeped in the rock culture of the motherland, was determined to bring their A-game for the punters who were out for nothing less than a good time.

First cab off the rank, Deep Sea Arcade, had a short but sweet set driven by wiry guitar tracks and their quintessential The Beatles-esque pop-rock sound. The sparse but no-less enthused crowd enjoyed it before it finished all too soon, with a cover of The Zombies She’s Not There going down a treat.

The dapper Fergus Brown and company next presented a soulful, melodic and highly energetic set. With Brown’s uncanny ability to build an instant rapport and the quirky-come-lovable nature of his sidekicks (including the use of a hamburger as an instrument) he quickly built steam, with a cover of Pulp’s Do You Remember The First Time adding to the momentum.

In between sets, DJs Alex Pye and Shag spun a seemingly eclectic mix of Brit-pop hits ranging from Petula Clark’s Downtown to Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now and The Foundations Build Me Up Buttercup which sent to the room into frenzy, effectively mirroring another great British institution; pantomime.

Jonathan Boulet and mates screamed on stage, drowning out the DJ with their “I Will Soldier On” intro; an intense and effective scene setter for the frenetic percussion driven performances to come. Community Service Announcement closed the much adored set, but not before an excellent turn at Ones Who Fly Twos Who Die and the crown of the night, an overwhelming cover of Gorillaz Dirty Harry that had the now packed crowd clamouring for more.

In stark contrast to Boulet before him, Whitley was soon to follow with his solo acoustic set. Given the collective inebriation of the audience this could have easily been a misplaced affair, but the masses kindly obliged his “songs of deep emotion” and went along for the ride. One of his final appearances under the Whitley moniker, the Melbournian firecracker gave us a laundry list of reason’s while he’ll be missed, including Cheap Clothes, a sweltering take on New Order’s Blue Monday and More Than This, a song about suicide cheekily dedicated to his unborn nephew.

By the time headlining act Bertie Blackman made her appearance, the audience was suitably drunk enough to look past the muffled audio and simply give in to the synth-laden growls of Sydney’s much acclaimed she-rocker. Driven by her balls-to-the-wall attitude, Blackman chewed through her set featuring tracks including Baby Teeth and a rapturously received turn at Heart.

All in all, Ben Sherman put on one hell of a show. Despite the requisite brand labelling, the concept was fruitful and all parties were receptive, but more than anything it was just a damn good time.

Check out the photos from the show