D'Opus and Roshambo DJ set,Fun Machine, Beth n Ben @ TheFront, Canberra (18/11/10)

Fri 26th Nov, 2010 in Gig Reviews

SEE THE GALLERY HERE

Captain Paul Watson and fellow members of anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society came to Canberra last week to host two fundraising events, before finishing up at The Front Cafe and Gallery for the after party.

Beth n Ben kicked things off for a small but appreciative audience, while most of the Sea Shepherd supporters stayed two doors up at Tilley’s Cafe, where the main fundraiser was being held. Not that they missed out on the talented Canberra duo, who also played at the earlier event before local indigenous singer-songwriter Winiata Puru.

On stage, Beth Monzo and Ben Drysdale have great chemistry and were completely at home in the cozy, familiar surrounds of The Front, where both have played countless times before, both solo and with other bands. They played an unplanned set made up of funky, upbeat numbers spanning jazz, rock and reggae styles, combining their considerable vocal talents to deliver clever lyrics.

“We’re just kinda wingin’ it,” Drysdale confessed between songs. “It’s been a pretty disorganised day on our part.”

The strategy worked well, with each randomly chosen song drawing a bigger response than the one before it. Highlights were Affirmation three songs in, Two Simple Chords and the last song, Little Lady, which Drysdale described as “Our single, except we forgot to release it before the rest of the EP”.

Beth n Ben launched Boarding Pass last week at Corroboree Park, supported by other bands including Fun Machine, who were up next at The Front.

As Fun Machine got started, Sea Shepherd supporters, including guest of honour Watson and his entourage, started trickling down to The Front, with its appropriately sea-themed exhibition by artist Teffany Thiedman.

The very impressive three-piece wasted no time, opening with a classic bluesy rock tune to invite people inside. They then slid into something a bit more soulful, with smooth vocal harmonies standing alone amid minimal percussion, before changing gear again and rocking out.

Singing drummer Bec Taylor combines the two skills masterfully, and the band has this great interplay between the different voices. Their energy on stage compelled people to get up and dance, while the depth in their repertoire and funny, clever lyrics to songs like Cafe Stalker meant Fun Machine definitely lived up to their name. They are a hell of a lot of fun to see in action.

Next up, the lights went down as D’Opus and Roshambo played out the night with a DJ set, taking turns mixing hip-hop tracks and tapping out beats on a high-tech Vestax MIDI controller. This made a nice chilled out end to a relaxed, chilled out affair with good tunes all night, including some awesome live music.

SEE THE GALLERY HERE