The New Pornographers @Fowler's Live, Adelaide(16/11/10)

Wed 17th Nov, 2010 in Gig Reviews

CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS HERE.

Canadian indie royalty The New Pornographers played out an epic 21 track set to a solid gathering of loyal fans, all with clearly exceptional taste. The night, save for some fan quibbles over the venue’s sound quality, was a resounding success for a band at the top of their game.

A very special mention should go to refreshing Brisbane supports Little Scout. Melissa Tickle’s fantastic vocal clarity verged on Sarah Blasko-esque, albeit a little lighter and perhaps a touch sweeter, whilst the band’s ambient sound created a fantastic vibe, not entirely dissimilar to Bridezilla in points. The amount of beautifully crafted indie-pop songs ensure there’s enough talent in this outfit for them to get more and more exposure. Songs like Paper Aeroplanes have an optimism and a romantic maturity to them which will catch on with a lot of people and Dead Loss has a bittersweet sincerity which further reflects their depth. Slipper’s slightly quirky on stage presence is engaging and innocent. Quietly and accidentally charismatic but not over the top.

When The New Pornographers took to the stage oozing confidence and the kind of comfort which comes from the bonds forged between seasoned musicians and friends playing together, the whole venue seemed to warm up. The band launched straight into their own brand of no nonsense rock and roll, brought to life by rich two, mostly three and even occasionally four and five part harmonies. The combination of the huge mesmerising sound and the band’s fantastic on stage camaraderie really lit up the room, the audience aware they were in for something special. Drummer Kurt Dahle shared spokesperson duties with lead singer Carl Newman, both with uniquely engaging eccentricities, the former’s odd mannerisms noticeable for those up front. Neko Case was a little shy but was a solid and passionate vocal contributor, whilst Newman took the lead and much of the limelight.

The scattering of hits throughout the night were endless but some die hard fans were insistent the whole night went up a notch after We End Up Together. Fowlers being what it is, the sound was different depending on where one was, but nonetheless the performances were sublime and each member’s contribution was notable and interesting. Bleeding Heart Show was another fan favourite, whilst well constructed new track Your Hands (Together) from the new album Together really stuck out.

The elements that set the band apart from a number of others is the way the harmonies are structured. It often sounded like there were doubles of some vocal parts whilst the third part would harmonise against that and at other times the vocal structures were set so one member would chime it at certain strategic points, whilst the others sang through the straight forward parts. There’s no doubt that aside from the sublime melodies, it’s the power of the vocal combinations which really make this band one of the most revered in indie circles. Whilst the set length may have been a tad long for some, the majority of the crowd was clearly enthralled with the night’s proceedings. It’s rare that a band will be quite a generous with their time and it was certainly appreciated.

CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS HERE.