Belles Will Ring, MagneticHeads, The Honey Pies @ Jive,Adelaide (4/12/10)

Mon 6th Dec, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Just to get it over and done with . . . seriously why weren’t more people at this gig? Okay, so it was a hotter than some kind of apocalyptic end of the world judgment day but still here were three quality bands for 12 bucks. Anyway, it was Adelaide’s turn for the Belles Will Ring: Come North with Me Baby, Wow national tour (not a mouthful at all). Fellow Sydney based band Magnetic Heads were support, along with local favourites They Honey Pies. As for location, Jive may not have the best sound but it still is always a good intimate venue, which actually feels like a proper music venue, stage and all.

To start the proceedings, The Honey Pies played a tight and energetic set and were followed by Magnetic Heads who were apparently missing two of their members. You would probably assume that would have a detrimental effect on a bands performance. Unless maybe they played triangle or tambourine (Joel Gion from The Brian Jonestown Massacre excluded). Either way, they played one of the best live shows I’ve seen all year. Lead singer Jonathon Desmond Miller looked a bit like Bob Dylan and sounded kind of like Morrissey, definitely both good attributes. Their jangly indie pop sound was perfect for the weather and their humor and affability made them instantly likable. They played a short but sweet set and had well and truly won over the audience by the end of it. Look out for them in the future.

After a brief period of setting up, it was time for Belles Will Ring and they didn’t disappoint. Playing a mixture of their earlier and latest material, it was evident from the outset that this was a band that enjoys what they do. Their cohesiveness was impressive with each member fulfilling their role perfectly. The band played for over an hour yet managed to keep it energetic and non-stagnant; often happening with longer sets. Their jangly psychedelic 60’s tinged sound is reminiscent of bands like The Brian Jonestown Massacre and counterparts The Lovetones. Their newer songs also included trumpet and flute parts. Admittedly, I haven’t heard a huge amount of flute in bands but whenever I have it’s always sounded medieval. Hence, I was pretty impressed when Belles Will Ring managed to negotiate this recipe for disaster and avoid this dangerous trap! Also worth mentioning is front man Liam Judson’s very impressive “yeah” (trust me, that shit is impressive).

This was definitely one of the most enjoyable gigs I’ve been to this year. Despite the rather dismal crowd, the bands were still eager to put on a show. The energy they played with, crowd interaction and all round performance was commendable, despite them probably being disappointed (I’m assuming) with the small turn out. Make sure you don’t miss them next time around.