Ennis Tola, Tread, Parker @Spensers Live, Melbourne(18/06/2010)

Wed 30th Jun, 2010 in Gig Reviews

There is a quiet atmosphere for Parker, who are third on the bill of fresh talent at Spensers Live. This venue is laid back and comfortable, and Parker possess a good level of sound that aids the experience for some with a sit down table experiencing their pop-charm and melodies. Winners of Triple J Unearthed, Parker showcase what made them noticeable in the first place with January serving as an upbeat rock tune, while their set outro is high octane and commendable.

The lulling sounds of Jamiroquai provides a contrasting mood to what is about to take place onstage with the upcoming onslaught of Tread. With a slight warm up and deceptively casual demeanour, Tread follow Parker with hard and melodic rock, proceeding to tear the house down with their live show. Their support of Ennis Tola tonight is perhaps an unlikely match up but as a powerhouse presence in the Melbourne music scene, it’s sensible to support bands of such similar calibre.

It was after ten o’clock when Tread started setting up and sound checking. A camera crew had assembled down the back ready to film the night’s musicians, and punters trickled in and filed at the back anticipating, watching and waiting. The volume is tweaked, riffs abound, hooks are nailing and the room is instantly rocked. And that’s just sound check. The mood switches slightly with a flurry of melodic, energizing and tasty tunes. Raw emotion is spilled as Cail Baroni leads Tread and builds the suspense, then releases with energetic mayhem. Tread are thunderous and rupturing, pushing boundaries and limits. Despite his testimony of having a cold, Baroni still retained that electricity always bought to Tread’s shows. Truth always shines throughout their set and Make It Real is, as always, likened to brilliance in addition to such crowd favourites as In The Face of Things to Come.

The persisting tunes of Jamiroquai float about Spensers Live and Ennis Tola grace the stage around eleven. With the weather windy, cold and biting, it was a casual crowd both seated and standing, with beer the drink favoured for relaxation. Kudos to the venue, with its ambience and mellow serenity that settles in again after Tread’s onslaught. To begin, there is a green glow that sets up an enchanting introduction to Ennis Tola’s set, also playing songs from their recently recorded album Seed A blue haze is then cast over the stage while the band maintains a very instrumental collaborative effort in which progressive sounds are abundant. Ennis are all very unique and worldly. “I’ve never felt this alive before” Tomas Fitzgerald harps, and the song is played brilliantly live, arriving with a roused response. ” Thanks to Parker and Tread, who were ball ripping… best way to describe it” he adds.

An incandescent green illuminates the quiet spots while Ennis Tola’s progression reaches maniacal heights, plateauing with that Buckley-esque divination. Noticeably, it is a rather subdued crowd for a Friday night. The multi talented Karen Heath alternates between wind instruments such as the entrancing fluttering of a flute, testament to an accomplished musician. These guys seem masters of their craft, bringing the volume, melody and an instrumental ease. A self-made film clip accompanies a song, albeit with technical difficulties, then the projection disappears and the band is back.

Ennis Tola consist of an array of diverse sounds that complement and diverge from conventions that are heard all too frequently. From saxophone to Japanese koto, Heath shines with her eclectic use of instruments, alternating to a flute which lightly accentuates an already thriving set, while Fitzgerald continually mesmerizes with wonderful vocals. Their guitarist Ryan Mcrobb likes a dance around, clearly enjoying the music they bring and by this time the sound has heightened and with great chemistry and cohesion, they triumph.