Birds of Tokyo, SilversunPickups @ Fremantle ArtsCentre, Perth (02/10/10)

Mon 4th Oct, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Find yourself in Caminniss’ gallery

Although it was the tour for the Birds of Tokyo on Saturday evening, many punters were there to catch the elusive Silver Sun Pickups playing their delightfully distorted indie rock. Birds of Tokyo apparently invited the LA band out to tour with them. An odd combination but for those with varied musical taste it was a winner, a chance to be entertained by two very different but both talented bands.

Frontman Brian Aubert was most certainly a charmer, with a friendly demeanour, and it was clear that he really appreciated being here. He had a stoner vibe to him, exclaiming how amazed he was at how far away the crowd was from the stage, which puzzled most as it was an average distance, really. Well Thought Out Twinkles was an early pleaser with the crowd massing forward and singing along. Aubert then said hello and exclaimed it was their first time in Fremantle. There’s No Secrets This Year was more of a guitar led track with less focus on Aubert’s vocal. Future Foe Scenarios showed his more masculine, shouty side. Along with Aubert, everyone loves a good bass playing woman. And Nikki Monninger was impeccable in her delivery, clean and dutiful giving the band a gutsy basis to work from. Lazy Eye was a favourite to finish on, with many singing along. The band announced they’d be back very soon quite pointedly so hopefully that means they’ll do their own tour this time.

It was obvious that Silver Sun Pickups had brought a lot of punters out as there was a mini exodus at the end of their set. But those that knew what’s good for them stuck around for local heroes Birds of Tokyo to show what they are all about, their amazing live show.

Blue lights flashed for a dramatic entrance. Singer Ian Kenny got stuck in early, hitting falsetto on first song The Unspeakable Scene. It wasn’t the most inspiring opening track they could have chosen, but it served as a warm up to an otherwise impressive set. For those people who have only ever listened to BOT recordings, you are sorely missing out, as the difference in quality between their recordings and live shows is quite astounding. There is a missing element to their recordings. Kenny’s vocal abilities including his range, power and tone are just so much more striking when in front of your eyes and ears.

The audience loved it. From the moshers at the front to the man near the sound desk doing all kinds of fanatical dance moves, to those happy to stand and sing along, everyone who stuck around were treated. Wild Eyed Boy followed by White Witch was a double whammy of goodness. Anthony Jackson on bass was whacking it out with Adam Spark’s heavy guitars going hard. Kenny’s crazy dancing added a visual element to the soundscape. Kenny dedicated Believer from their first EP to anyone who’d been listening to them for the last six years. Circles from the new record was a bit of a low point, being a bit boring and sad, but Kenny’s voice must need a bit of a break occasionally. Birds of Tokyo’s talent seems to be most evident in the more commanding songs that formed the majority of their set, such as Wayside . Any softer songs just seemed to fall flat and it was like the audience were just waiting for the next gutsy sing-along track to appear.

Spark’s guitar work was showcased well in Off Kilter. Adam Weston had his turn to bash out before Silhouettic. After the requisite encore break the band came back to play bass laden The Gap. A slight pause before finishing on a high with Broken Bones that showed off all four members’ talents and synchronicity. The fact the band played songs from their different records gave young and old fans the chance to appreciate the evening.

Find yourself in Caminniss’ gallery