The Transatlantics, RocketBar, Adelaide (24/07/10)

Mon 26th Jul, 2010 in Gig Reviews

It’s a beautiful thing when a band and a venue simply gel. It’s also somewhat surprising to see an eleven piece band fit easily on a stage the size of the one at Rocket Bar. But The Transatlantics were simply made for this joint, from everything to the way the room soaked in their full brass sound, to how they presented on stage as a tight comfortable ensemble. We’re talking two guitarists (alternating between rhythm and lead), one bassist, a drummer on a small jazz kit, a tambourine player of all things, two back up singers, a trumpet player, a trombonist, a saxophonist and a fantastic female soul singer.

To ‘genrefy’ The Transatlantics specifically is something which is a little hard to do. But in a sense it’s by no means a bad thing. One thing which makes the band so interesting is that they are as adept at faster up-tempo funk and jazz numbers as they are with slower soul material and danceable, hypnotic motown pieces. And it’s worth noting the material they work on fits together almost seamlessly. Instrumentally each member of the audience would have their highlights, for mine hearing what appeared to be a decades old vintage sax in isolation was a sublime treat. It’s adept handler Jon Hunt was to my taste the cream of the musicians, although certainly there’s no element of competition in a band who clearly revere each other’s company. In terms of stage energy the enthusiasm of the trombonist Kyra Sedgwick was so evident, she simply radiated on stage, bringing the band’s presence up another notch. The confident interaction with the audience by the singer Tara Lynch and bassist player also reflected on the professionalism of the outfit.

Lynch’s performance was near perfect, whilst not necessarily overly sultry or brimming with attitude, something which perhaps could have brought another element to the show. Her back up singers, who seemed to materialise out of nowhere, really brought the set up a notch with their gently weighted accompaniment. The guitar work was similarly fantastic with more of a traditional old school jazz focus resulting in a thinner sound with short sustain. Personally I always like a bit more wah action and at time a thicker chord sound, but that’s a subjective preference which certainly takes nothing away from an inch-perfect performance.

For me it was really the motown number near the end of the set – before the generous encore – which capped off the night. If you’re yet to experience The Transatlantics at Rocket Bar you’re truly missing out on what can easily be regarded as a jewel in the the broader Adelaide music scene. And I think you’d be hard pressed to find one person in the packed out venue who would think to disagree.