The Klaxons, Parades @ ThePalace Theatre, Melbourne(03/09/2010)

Tue 7th Sep, 2010 in Gig Reviews

‘Ah, this is going to get messy…’ grins Klaxons bassist/vocalist/chief mentalist Jamie Reynolds into the microphone as deafening sirens sound the opening to set closer Atlantis to Interzone. In fact, things had got quite a bit disorganised on the dance floor a long time before this encore since, only stopping short of dropping into monochrome and projecting luminous green ectoplasm from their eyeballs all over the Palace Theatre walls, London’s most futuristic retro band had just delivered a bombastic, inane performance that had the crowd in arm waving, hip shaking rapture.

Providing a delightful pre-cursor to the arrival of the lead act were the so absolutely en vogue musings of introspective Aussies Parades. Arriving onstage complete with elfin, open shirted guitarist and bespectacled, tambourine wielding, shy-looking young lady, alarm bells immediately begin to sound. Yet, despite their shop-bought indie aesthetic, all fears are allayed once the group launches into song. Crafting the usual swirling dream-pop via guitar and keyboard but pairing it with at times intense club drumming and a knack for picking the right spot to kick in with a good breakdown, Parades make good on their unusually eclectic comparisons to bands as diverse as Sigur Ros and American politico-punks Fugazi.

Taking up the most important seat in the house is a young man who needs no more good press, Jonathan Boulet, ensconced behind a myriad of percussion including the little magic box of electric drum sounds that lends the band it’s unique approach to an otherwise saturated ambient genre. Pronounced beat-mastery underpins the gelatinous music of Springboarder a number that ebbs and swells in an oceanic approach to song writing, echoing the minimalist tinkering of Explosions in the Sky as it crescendos from a peaceful sea into cyclonic drum ‘n’ bass while Boulet hunches over one of his miniature musical toys.

Not as quirky as current scene darlings Cloud Control, but probably more enjoyably authentic for that exact reason, Parades delicately blend rock, techno and melodic classical-tinged indie, a la underrated British band Oceansize. Set highlight Dead Nationale combines every element of their all-inclusive brand to demonstrate that, despite a smorgasbord of musical comparisons, the group is steadily creating a sound that is all its own.

Entering the fray to the theme music from Golden Axe (possibly) The Klaxons cut less zany figures than you might imagine; the only concession to their manic musical landscaping being the swinging golden tassles adorning the shoulders of Reynold’s T-shirt. The low-key visuals represent a universal theme of restraint, with none of the theatrics from their video clips creeping into the performance nor any outlandish showmanship, save for a minute long blackout pause in the middle of Magick to extract the maximum amount of whistling mania from an already over-stimulated crowd.

This restraint, of course, is not evident in the physical performance; all members of the band eventually retiring after an hour or so of virtuoso instrument thrashing covered in sweat and grinning inanely. The set positively exudes energy, right from the get go, with the first number from Myths of The Near Future predictably eliciting a reciprocal vigour from the audience. As Above, So Below is followed in quick succession by Gravity’s Rainbow that indulges the pulsating masses with a soprano sing along.

Sandwiched between the older, more familiar work comes songs from new album Surfing The Void, which make a lot more sense in the Klaxons canon when paired with their Myths work. Brandishing Rickenbacker bass guitars and pounding on real life drums, the group looks more like Kasabian than Blue Man Group, allowing their music to take on a grittier, live feel whilst maintaining the integrity of the melody. Keyboardist James Righton shoulders the lion’s share of music making, his fingers bouncing perennially from the keys faultlessly throughout. Having reportedly been chastised by Polydor for their uber-futuristic attempt at a sophomore effort first time around, the band have stripped back their sci-fi leanings giving leave for a punk aesthetic to shine through.

Two Receivers takes on an eerie tone live, borrowing the drum beat from Leftfield’s Phat Planet and including a spidery walking key line. The characteristic vocal harmonies are present of course, as they are throughout the night and everything is note-perfect. Golden Skans is a perfect recreation of the live recording which indicates both the beauty and the failing of electro music in the live arena, the crowd dances like lunatics but the song neither suffers nor gains anything from its portrayal on the stage, save for a sense of inclusion.

All notions of live authenticity aside, the set undeniably throbs with energy from the opening new tracks right through the club-tastic light show which accompanies Magick and encore entrant Surfing The Void that has Reynolds sounding like a space-age Paul Weller. By the time Atlantis to Interzone wails around, the venue has absorbed a palpable intensity that blows out in one final, acid-rave inflected punk explosion.

CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM THE NIGHT HERE