Cabins, Step-Panther, VassyMollo @ The Troubadour,Brisbane (27/08/2010)

Mon 30th Aug, 2010 in Gig Reviews

On a cold wintery night in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, Cabins proved they have what it takes to be a headlining act. Unfortunately they weren’t able to prove it to very many people.

Members of opening 5-piece Vassy Mollo make up half of the people inside the Troubadour when they take the stage. Their dance-pop rock is held together by the terrific drumwork of Mack Vann, with riffs and tight jeans aplenty. The foot comes off the accelerator only occasionally, although the slower Not What We Used To Be is a melancholic highlight, and frontman Daniel Klug writhes his way through a set of good-not-great numbers. These guys are probably one big support slot away from the attention they deserve – they definitely won’t be playing empty rooms for long.

Step-Panther have a shtick, of sorts, but it’s one that tires quickly. Musically, the three piece are willing to throw anything to the wall to see what sticks, but less sticks than they would like. There’s breakdowns, power riffs, Pixies-style cacophonies, and even a spoken word track. Unfortunately each good idea is surrounded by self indulgent wankery and a constant stream of dick/balls jokes. The three members of this band have some great skills, but a lack of discipline (which feels like a very unrockandroll thing to say) lets them down. At one stage the drummer reacts to a lack of applause by saying that the audience “didn’t know what to make of that one” but that statement assumes a depth to the songs that just isn’t evident. Predictably, their set ends with a whimper.

The room is only a third full when Cabins take the stage, but it’s to the band’s credit that they pull everyone down to the front for a dance. Over the course of a short set, the band visits murky psychedelia, QOTSA style highway rock, and even a fantastic cover of Edwyn Collins’ seminal A Girl Like You. Bass player Christopher keeps to himself, dancing quietly in the background as Leroy croons/howls/Neil Youngs his way through the set. Later numbers show a versatility of style which it would be nice to see them explore more thoroughly – keys are used on Catcher In The Rye, an acoustic guitar lends a country twang to a footstomper, and Leroy uses a slide to full effect on The Moon. The only misstep of the night comes with an encore so tacked on I think I could see the staple marks as it went past. Still, the small Troubadour crowd is appreciative of a highly-skilled band doing their thing – let’s hope a few more punters come down next time Cabins around in town.