Dan Kelly's Dream Band, ThoseDarlins @ Rooftop Bar,Melbourne (20/12/2010)

Fri 31st Dec, 2010 in Gig Reviews

The Happy Mondays gig series at Curtin House Rooftop Bar was no doubt intended to be a warm, picturesque scene that allows attendees to pretend like their fun-filled weekend was still yet to pass. Unfortunately, the current sporadic weather patterns have other ideas and we were greeted with a gloomy sky and a cold wind that had everyone rugged up like it was the middle of July.

Those Darlins did their best to warm the crowd, encouraging all to move forward and get involved in their female-driven country rock. Fresh off a Meredith Music Festival Sunday arvo sesh, the Tennessee group oozed confidence and threatened to draw out the hip-swingin’ hick in everyone on the rooftop. At the bar, another muso (think a band about size and colour) who graced the supernatural amphitheatre the previous weekend proclaimed his love for Those Darlins, overheard saying ‘I just wanna party with them!’. This was indicative of the vibe they emitted on stage, that being that they are just a whole lot of southern USA fun.

Dan Kelly managed to cram himself and his six-strong Dream Band onto the faux-grassy rooftop stage, a pair of giant umbrellas hovering overhead in case of rain. Dan turned on a bit of charm mixed with comedy which lasted throughout the set, introducing the band which included his ‘corporate Mexican’ and a pair of young girls on backing vocals who nervously smiled and bopped through the opening track.

As if everyone wasn’t missing the sun enough already, Bindi Irwin Apocalypse Jam reminded the near capacity audience of how you could probably define the musical genre of summery pop. Something often not appreciated by the punters and never mentioned by some artists, Dan introduced nearly every song and its backing story, including a mention of the wonders of Dandenong Station and his experience at the one and only All Tomorrow’s Parties in Australia. With Uncle Paul in attendance, Dan bounced between his dual microphone setup while sporting perhaps the most hypnotic symmetrical hairdo in history.

Winding up the set, Dan gave a quick plug to remind everyone he’ll soon be appearing at Falls Festival, though not without adding that we’ll need to ‘have about 700 bucks lying around for a ticket’. In a year of political controversy, it was most appropriate for Dan and his Dream Band to finish with Drunk on Election Night, a most beautifully controversial song in its own right.

While the conditions weren’t the most ideal on this particularly occasion, the music was quality and the Happy Mondays on the rooftop concept is a definite winner. Despite carrying a relatively high ticket cost of around $40, some balmy nights in January should further prove these gigs to be a pillar of summer for years to come.