Basement Birds, Old Man River,The Sun Orchestra @ Fowler'sLive, Adelaide (12/08/10)

Sun 15th Aug, 2010 in Gig Reviews

CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS HERE.

Supergroups seem to be the thing of the moment. Whether it’s *Them Crooked Vulture*s or Tinted Windows, when you put together a selection of talented and popular musicians people tend to go ape for it. Not quite in the same stratosphere as TCV, but filled with familiar Aussie faces, Basement Birds (comprising of Steve Parkin , Kav Temperley [Eskimo Joe], Kevin Mitchell Bob Evans and Josh Pyke,) are the Aussie pop scene’s answer to a “Supergroup”. That being said I was a little surprised that the gig was moved to the smaller venue of Fowlers Live from the previously booked HQ Complex. These boys individually have sold out larger venues in the past. All I can say is those of you who didn’t get tickets missed out.

Supporting the Basement Birds were The Sun Orchestra and Old Man River. I only caught the last couple of songs from The Sun Orchestra but their relaxed acoustic tunes would perfectly accompany a cold beverage on a hot summers day whilst chilling under a shady tree.

It has been some time since I have seen Old Man River but not much has changed. Ohad Rein still has his signature fro accompanying his easygoing music. To be honest he hasn’t really been on my radar other than the obvious hit singles, which were speckled through tonight’s set. The majority of the set consisted of new tunes from his soon to be released album Trust. Maybe it was all the new material but the crowd seemed fairly unresponsive for the most part, Sunshine and You’re On My Mind were the exception injecting some energy into the room, as phones were raised to record the moment. “How’s it going Adelaide” came in many forms as did repeatedly thanking the Basement Birds for having them, which I sometimes think is a last ditch effort to connect with the audience.

After what felt like an eternity the Basement Birds finally graced the stage. Right from the outset you could tell tonight was going to be about fun not finesse. Bounding onto the stage Kav proclaimed “Welcome to the first Basement Birds show ever!” Adelaide marked the kick off for the inaugural and possibly only tour we will see the Basement Birds do and these gents looked ecstatic to be here, being able to play music with their mates. Having seen Pyke, Mitchell and Temperley play live in their other outfits, it was nice to see the seriousness and structure that comes with the familiarity of a well-oiled band had been removed and to just see them jam and tease each other. This started with the very first song Waiting For You, which they consequently screwed up. Clearly Mitchell was the target for the night, as the witty banter between songs often revolved around him and “Fun Facts” about him.

I was incredibly impressed with Steve Parkin who is often referred to as the “non-famous one” (I must admit, I had not come across him before) but his vocals, musical talent and humour really worked well with the other lads. You gotta love a man who busts out a Grease’s You’re The One That I Want whilst guitars are being tuned. To round out the band, Lee Jones from The Sun Orchestra played a mean tambourine and lap steel and Malcolm Clark pounded the drums. Producing an alt-country folky sound, this collaboration came about from a mutual love of delicious harmonies and appreciation of each other’s skills. Mandolins, Banjos and a Double Bass all made appearances, which enriched the twang sound of the evening.

No one seemed worried about image, preferring to clown around as we were witness to Pyke’s interpretive dance and Mitchell’s Jazz Hands. Fun Fact: Mitchell studied jazz ballet until the age of 13.

Covers of Sarah Blasko’s All I Want and The Presets My People were definite highlights. The lads initially butchered Blasko’s beautiful song, before finally nailing it, much to the amusement of the audience. Do yourself a favour and You Tube it, definitely worth a laugh. My People (recently performed for Triple J’s Like a Version) provided a fun interactive part of the night with everyone singing or rather yelling along. So many laughs were had, perhaps the biggest occurring just before what was described as the “saddest song” however you could hear a pin drop when Mitchell sang All That I Feel.

The ever so catchy tune Bus Stop, which Julia Stone loaned her voice to for the album recording was another highlight. The boys teased us that she was out the back but when she didn’t materialise three lucky girls got a chance to fill the void eagerly leaping onto the stage to share the lads mics and they did Julia proud. If you want your 15 minutes of fame, get there early and be up the front, as I suspect audience participation will be a permanent fixture on this tour.

Rounding out the night with Water Lines, and leaving the stage due to curfew restrictions these lads put on a great show. It may not of been smooth and seamless but it was certainly fun and lively, with moments of pure hilarity. I think most would agree, that these boys shouldn’t clip their wings after this tour as they look like they are just about to take flight.

Setlist
Waiting For You
Not The One
Heartache On The Radio
Reasons
Holly
Skin In Sky
All That I Feel
All I Want (by Sarah Blasko)
Ghosts
Hardest Part
Bus Stop
Cinnamon And Smoke

Encore
Hamilton Hill
My People (by The Presets)
Water Lines

CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS HERE.