Next Big Thing Semi Final @Civic Hotel, Perth (31/07/10)

Wed 4th Aug, 2010 in Gig Reviews

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Indie music quelled the silence of the slowly-filling Civic back room as the lights were turned off shortly after seven and band members and audience members alike filed in. MC Justin Walshe clambered onto the stage with his circus coat and curly hair and exclaimed, “If you do find yourselves having a good time, try to express it!” before introducing the night’s first band, The Brow Horn Orchestra.

The 9-piece ensemble picked up their (mostly brass) instruments and proceeded to justify their WAMI award by blowing the socks off the crowd. As soon as their music filled the air the audience took to the dancefloor and bopped along, not unlike every band member onstage. The music itself was incredibly tight and very inventive, with both of the main vocalists pulling out megaphones to sing through more than once.

It was, put simply, a wall of rock/pop/ska/hip hop sound.

It was a shame that they went first as there were less people at the start of the night than during the middle. The crowd reluctantly waved them goodbye after five songs and, minutes later, welcomed Goodnight Tiger. The name of the band conjured expectations of something completely other than mellow pop but the stylish three-girl-and-one-guy quartet sound like Tegan and Sara without the Canadian accents and squeaky voices.

The Goodnight Tiger vocalists (who switch guitars on a regular basis) have nice voices and a guitar technique that gives their music an unexpected quirkiness. It was immediately clear, thanks to the talent oozing from the PA that each of them could easily pull something off on their own.

Walshe was on stage again giving away CDs from last years Next Big Things and filling up time as we waited for Sonspilo Circus, who were somewhat delayed due to technical problems. With their weird name and all-around big hair, the threesome coolly picked up their instruments and blasted the speakers with their energetic rock and roll.

If you closed your eyes, you might have thought that you were listening to a psychedelic version of Wolfmother mixed with Lenny Kravitz with lyrics like, “Lose your mind”. It was a very 70’s sound. You couldn’t help but think that they were either born in the wrong decade or were heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin and Steppenwolf. The only thing that spoiled the searing guitar solos was the overuse of the wah-wah pedal, which got a bit much towards the end though most of the crowd seemed to enjoy it.

The mood completely changed as the James Teague stepped up for his chance to impress the judges. For someone who was self-taught, his fingerpicking skills were mind-blowing and his voice stood out from everything else the crowd had previously heard, starting his set with a ukulele and a falsetto. His erratic vocals were reminiscent of the late Jeff Buckley with elements of Bjork thrown in – totally refreshing. Although he was the only one on-stage, his presence seemed to fill it.

The music itself was both happy and soulful, leaving anyone and everyone in a good mood in time for Resort to hit the stage, and the cheers were loud. This electro five-piece sounded like summer and even dressed like it was summertime, complete with an orange hat and a feather in the hair.

The guy behind the computer looked like a tech guy, until he pressed a button and drums and noise filled the air, backed up by bongos, keyboard, bass, singing, and occasionally a violin. Everyone was dancing to their happy brand of pop, singing along with the vocalist’s resounding echo of, “Don’t wait for time, life is beautiful”.

They made way for Homebrewe, who have received airplay in Europe and across the USA. The guitar, bass and drums had a massive sound throughout their entire set, complimented by a big voice that could reach rather high notes and still manage to stay in tune. Cohen Grogan oozed cool as he pumped up the crowd and head banged alongside his band mates, announcing before one of their songs, “This is where everyone gets sexy”. The timing changes were impressive and the riffs were catchy and chunky, always sounding like a pure rock band.

Just as the crowd started to really get into it, The Love Junkies played the final set for the night. Unfortunately, the crowd was only half of what it was a few sets before and more people didn’t get to see the rawness of this band.
The bass was constantly rolling and the guitar sounds were raw and grungy – which is perfect for a three-piece 90s-style grunge band. The drummer’s dreadlocked hair was nearly blurry at some points as he threw his head back and forth in time with his snappy drumming.
Whilst The Love Junkies’ influences were easily identifiable, (Tom Morello’s guitar noise, Nirvana), it didn’t matter because the music itself was original and un-produced. As their set came to a close, the singer/guitarist threw his guitar on the ground and walked away, leaving the guitar noise running – a perfect ending for such a raw show.

The seven-band extravaganza had finally come to an end by half past eleven and only the verdict remained.

Congratulations to Next Big Thing 2010 finalists The Brow Horn Orchestra and James Teague (who was utterly blown away with shock). They will compete with Good Little Fox and the Brown Study Band. All bands will be appearing On Saturday 7 August, in the Grand Final of the Next Best Thing 2010.

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