Triple J’s Ausmusic MonthParty @ Metro, Sydney(5/11/10)

Thu 11th Nov, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Everyone’s favourite radio station threw a party the only way they know how – filling the Metro to the rim, spinning their favourite tracks and spoiling us rotten with surprises galore. While everyone else sits at home garnering moustaches and getting frustrated by the indecisive weather, Triple J kicked off the November Australian music celebrations by hosting a night of stellar performances from Bag Raiders and Co.

Zan Rowe and Vijay Khurana opened the night with their familiar voices; a strange predicament as I found myself just as excited, if not more, to see the music presenters than the musicians they present.

The Holidays name is ridiculously suitable. Musically these guys are the reincarnation of being shirtless in your cul-de-sac at 3am with a rainbow paddle-pop and a reckless summer grin. Moonlight Hours sets the dance floor ablaze with its tropical, pop-romp irresistibility. The floodgates of special guests opened with Dan Williams of Art vs. Science and Kyu lending their talent on some Holiday’s tracks before a tantalising cover of the Avalanches’ Since I Left You. Due to its sampling nature, lead singer Simon Jones mused that they’d “taken it apart and put it back together”; with magnificent results- we’re talking, highlight of my night results.

The Doctor exercised his mixing fingers in the break, the biggest cheer coming from Jebediah’s Leaving Home. Someone get me my flannelette.

“Who here likes Aussie Hip Hop?” The response? A raucous cheer. Horrorshow covers every square inch of the Metro, running back and forth, conducting the crowd which transforms into a rhythmic pulse of bodies at his whim. The Herd’s Jane Tyrell lent her vocals on a few acoustic numbers including a cover of Ben Lee’s Cigarettes Will Kill You.

Flight Facilities’ Crave You and Miami Horror’s Holidays were hits in Nina Las Vegas’ playlist as a dance pit broke out, but being an all-ages gig it kinda felt like a school disco with some extroverted gal hogging the circle with her bad running-man (save it for drama class honey).

After what seemed like an age the curtains drew back, the house lights dimmed and the audience lost their mind. I’m not sure what it is about Australia and its dance music, what crafts the likes of The Presets, The Avalanches, PNAU and Cut Copy, what stirs listeners to grab tracks and play them until their heart syncs with the bass line – whatever it is, Bag Raiders have tapped into its supply and are molding it into some delectable dance delights.

Fun Punch prompts sweat glands to kick into overdrive and the Daft Punk-esq Turbo Love is a potent wunder-kid with its clear, polished synth and robot vocals. Simon Jones returned to the stage to help with Not Over. He flirted with the crowd but didn’t make the same mistake twice (during The Holidays set he climbed the barrier only to be swallowed by a tumultuous underage sea and embarrassingly needed rescuing.)

Set highlights include Nil By Mouth, the rad-i-cool (both radical and cool) percussion battle/duel thing between Chris and Jack and the sure-fire hit Way Back Home building and looping and accelerating before culminating in this drug like release; peals of bass, hammering synth and blinding strobes.

Expected encores in order, they returned with one final special guest – 80s pop maestro Daryl Braithwaite. Performing a cover of his top ten single One Summer, it was great to see the former lead singer of Sherbet belt out a fine falsetto and saunter around the mic stand, it was just a shame the collaboration was awful. The song seemed disjointed and there was his horrible, ear-piercing screech – like feedback dolled up as melody.

Shooting Stars – we all knew it was coming, like the happy ending in a Disney movie . The opening clicks send boys and girls wild and when the tune kicks in everyone sings along despite their being no lyrics. You can’t deny its catchiness and even if Bag Raiders were to slip into oblivion they’d still have this track to keep them warm at night. Everyone is poised for the chorus but an extended instrumental forces them to wait that little bit longer. But then it happens and the seismic activity begins. We laugh, we cry and we jive, it’s great, the end.

Check out the photos from the gig