The Melodics, Jess Harlen,Strange Talk & Alba Varden @The Corner, Melbourne(23/10/2010)

Mon 25th Oct, 2010 in Gig Reviews

It can’t be an easy task being the first band up at a gig. Being the ones somewhat responsible for getting the party started, sparking people’s interest, and basically priming the audience for the main set. But the deliciously stylish, bearded hipsters of Alba Varden did just that, and made it look easy. The 20-odd people who didn’t make a beeline for The Corner’s rooftop bar as soon as the doors opened were treated to a high energy, atmospheric introduction to the night thanks to the Melbourne five-piece. Perched on the band room’s tiny side-stage with barely enough room to move, the boys powered through an amazing set of loud, psychedelic beats and euphoric echoes, with tracks like Relax, and their Triple J hits Souldigger and Calm Your Head. Despite the fact that the volume of the music tended to overbear lead singer Daniel Zampaglione’s vocals, the band sounded really professional (considering the fact that all the members are under 25). With a unique sound and well-arranged songs, their energy was captivating, and it definitely created a buzz in the room as more and more people started to trickle in to see what these guys were all about.

Alba Varden definitely set a high standard for the night, so Strange Talk had to work hard to hold the interest of those present. They didn’t quite do it though, as the small crowd hung towards the back of the room and watched on without much of a reaction. It wasn’t that the band played badly; it’s just that they themselves showed barely a smidgen of enthusiasm. Their disco-pop sound is great, and it’s not surprising that the four-piece scored a spot on the Parklife lineup this year, but perhaps we just weren’t the right kind of crowd. As they played through a set of 5 including Eskimo Boy and Is It Real?, two girls danced awkwardly in front of the stage as the sound of spacey synths echoed through the room. Without the energy from the band though, it just wasn’t enough to leave us wanting more as they quietly finished up and left the stage.

A sound for sore ears, the pocket-sized Jess Harlen came out and lifted our spirits once more with her soulful acoustics and stunning voice. Having been part of the Blue King Brown touring troupe for the past year, Jess is no stranger to the stage and it shows. Playing tracks from her debut LP Neon Heartache, including singles I Go and the much-played Watch the Water, she just oozed soul as she swayed with her guitar and chatted to the crowd between songs. With its subtle elements of reggae and hip-hop, her music made you feel like you were (or at least wanted to be) in a breezy bar on a tropical island somewhere. When she dropped a short a capella vocal, everyone went silent as her beautiful voice filled the room and covered our skin with goosebumps. You can tell when a crowd is genuinely cheering for an artist, and when they’re just doing it out of courtesy. This crowd was genuinely cheering for Jess, and after experiencing her live set, there’s no denying she’s one to keep an eye on. Oh, and did I mention she has an amazing voice?

After three very different (and overall impressive) acts, the room was bursting at the seams as the high-spirited crowd waited in anticipation for the group that has been causing such a stir. As the room went dark again and humming synths grew slowly louder, four members of The Melodics walked onstage as everybody cheered. But it was when the distinctively bearded, dreadlocked figure of lead singer Jeremedy bounced out and the band launched into the funky Cash.Sex.Cool, that the crowd really went nuts. Jumping and singing along, you could tell that this band has real, hardcore fans already, despite only having released one album and an EP. You’d think they’d been doing this for years, as they got the crowd bouncing to every note, filling the room with an electric energy. Chanting “put your hands in the air like this”, the band invited the crowd into every song, making us feel like we were a part of the music.

The tempo switched down momentarily with electro-ballad Afterlife, as it’s atmospheric synths and soft vocals evoked the exact feeling you would imagine them to when listening on record. We were all calm for a few minutes before the distinctive beat of hip-hop track Donkeykong Suicide came through the speakers. Immediately everybody started bouncing again, as the band powered through the Triple J hit and lead single from the Paint Me Gold EP, followed shortly by the eerie indie-rocker Bang Bang. Between tracks, there were instrumental interludes, including a New York style sax solo that sounded like it was plucked out of an old 50’s movie scene. There were also lots of chatty tidbits from Jeremedy, although admittedly the way the sound came through, you couldn’t really make out what he was saying a lot of the time (I’m sure he was lovely and charming, though).

Superhero was definitely a highlight of the set and, with the 80’s synth beat pulsating through the crowd, a girl dressed as Wonderwoman jumped around on the stage as everybody sang along “I’m feelin’ like a superhero!” After a sudden breakdown, the beat chugged along, building and building before everybody burst into the chorus once more. As Wonderwoman dove into the crowd and another ‘superhero’ darted through them, not one body was still as it almost felt like the whole room was on a high, totally enveloped in the song.

One of the great things about the whole set was the fact that the band didn’t just play the songs exactly as they are on the record – extending some bits, adding funky interludes, and really putting on a show. With each song being so different, they managed to emphasise the individual style of each track. The lighting was also effective, creating a funky, artsy atmosphere that complemented the ‘colourful’ side of the band. After the obligatory encore routine, the boys came back out for another long instrumental piece featuring a sassy sample of Bakers Street by Fantastic Mr. Fox on the saxophone, before finishing up with last year’s hit Take Me Away.

The Melodics really and truly are a unique band; one that cannot be described effectively in words. You have to hear them or see them to understand what they’re about, and the size of the crowd was a testament to just how much people have been digging their eclectic mix of musical styles. Even the band members are a riff-raff mix of characters, each with something different to offer. It is that versatility, coupled with their impressive energy and demeanour on stage, and their (almost) perfect support acts, which made for a genuinely excellent gig. Without a doubt, there would have been more fans of The Melodics leaving the room than there were coming in, and if you haven’t had a chance to catch them live yet…make a plan to do it! I guarantee you will be impressed.