Delphic @ Corner Hotel,Melbourne (1/08/10)

Tue 3rd Aug, 2010 in Gig Reviews

On one of Melbourne’s coldest, wettest and windiest Sunday’s it has seen, punters flocked to the Richmond’s Corner Hotel to catch Manchester’s latest and greatest – Delphic.

Support’s tonight came from local Melbourne boys Worlds End Press, who as they stroll onto the stage, with singler John Parkinson complete with generic under 12’s style soccer jersey, the crowd may have thought they had walked onto the set of The In-Betweeners. However, the the band’s appearance was deceptive, as they have talent blossoming beyond their years.

Their hyper-energetic stage show had them bouncing around on what appeared to be invisible pogo sticks for their 45 minute allotment, with their mix of electro, funk, and nu-disco quickly having the front of the crowd dancing around with gay abandon. One of the highlights of the night proved to be Long Live, which could have easily rolled straight off the DFA production lines or Aeroplane’s remix catalogue.

This had the crowd well and truly on side, as the euphoric guitars and memorable electro drums thumped from the stage, you could have been forgiven for closing your eyes and thinking you were at one of Europe’s premier electro parties. Closing their memorable set with Golden Child, they walked off stage having won plenty of new fans.

But the crowd had come to witness the latest Manchester band trying to step out of the shoes of their famous predecessors, this time it was Delphic. The inevitable, yet loose comparisons with Joy Division comes part and parcel of hailing from Manchster, but Delphic appear to take comparisons, both positive and negative, in their stride. Set and album opener Clarion Call welcome the crowd into their realm with the slow crescendo then bursting guitar and electro beats.

The album stays on course with Doubt, one of the breakthrough single’s from their 2010 debut Acolyte, giving the crowd some sing time. Morphing into Red Lights, then the song that kick-started their career in This Momentary, it’s less about beat but it certainly makes up for it in melody.

The highlight of the night lies in set closer Counterpoint, getting the entire front section of the crowd dancing in unison for the first time in the night. The continuous keyboard loop infused with the energy Matt Cocksedge is putting into his guitar make this the best song that is played tonight. It’s a shame then for an electro band, many of their songs find it hard for the audience to make any real attempt to dance.

However, it’s left to encore number Acolyte to get the audience’s dancing shoes on one for one last time, before bidding us farewell and into the wintery Sunday night. The audience leave no doubt content, but a little bewildered that it hadn’t shaken its ass more than what it probably expected to.