Thee Oh Sees, Super WildHorses, Total Control @ TheTote, Melbourne (13/01/2011)

Tue 18th Jan, 2011 in Gig Reviews

The conditions are swamp like in The Tote as the throbbing humidity and relentless rain pins a sizeable crowd into the venue’s tiny bandroom. In need of a decent spectacle to keep spirits up, the sweating punters are gladly treated to a night of enjoyable, well articulated retrospective musical appreciation. 

First up are Total Control who pair kick heavy surf-rock drumming with power chords that only dogs can hear to evoke memories of 80s American hardcore bands like Agent Orange or Minor Threat. Less dedicated to the ideals of ‘melody’ than the two following bands, TC instead rely on intensity and passion to put their message out there, whalloping at their instruments with reckless abandon, while lead singer Mikey Young (of Eddy Current Suppresion Ring fame) goes for Joe Strummer but gets more like a hoarse Jello Biafra. Either way there’s no denying he means what he sings, whether it be medicinal advertising like ‘we take pills to remember, we take pills to forget’ or, more commonly, cutting social commentary like ‘raaargh!’. 

Leading the field of ladies-wot-like-it-loud, adopted Melburnian duo Super Wild Horses perform a set of short, sharp Riot Grrl numbers that gets at least one guy dancing out of his body at the foot of the stage. With their pared down quasi-grunge indie rock and stoic stage presence peppered with dry humour, it’s difficult not to draw immediate comparisons to the sisters Deal, and their songwriting does somewhat recall the work of Kim and Kelley post-Pixies, complete with high-pitched, shouty vocals blending seamlessly into some really nice harmonies. 

What Started The Noise proves that simplicity reigns supreme on a night like this in The Tote, and at 2 minutes long and their catchiest number, the song is the best example of their single, picked guitar and drumbeat DIY aesthetic. That said, there’s a sense that venues like this may be the largest the girls of Super Wild Horses could ever have any real success in and a cynic might complain that the swapping of instruments halfway through is a touch gimmicky, serving only really to prove that neither of the ladies is any Jack White (although, gladly, either could happily fill Meg’s shoes). Regardless, with a sensible reliance on brevity of song to keep things interesting, SWH put in a highly enjoyable set which doesn’t stretch it’s ambitions any further than would make sense for the duo’s genre placement or ability level. 

If Total Control open a window into the 80’s and Super Wild Horses shine a light on the 90s, then Thee Oh Sees afford us a view of something a little further back in history, alternating between a sound like The Blues Brothers soundtrack at double speed and something much more like New York Punk. 

With yelped and unpredictable vocals courtesy of John Dwyer, the bass is understandably high in the mix to allow for the skewed and meandering guitar work, which seems to take impromptu excursions from the party at will. His dominant sound making him a focal point, bassist Petey Dammit bobs his head back and forth as if there are no muscles in his neck and holds his machineheads so high that he conjures images of The Living End’s Scott Owen plucking at his double bass. Every number is played with intensity and haste and, while the musical landscape on the whole is nothing really new, the sporadically appearing creative landmarks- be they blasts of rasping solo guitar work or an eerie echo effect on themic- lend a strange but enjoyable B-movie feel to proceedings that keeps everything relevant. 

At the set’s core, it’s blues infected power-pop, and from a purely analytical perspective, the single speed of delivery means that the novelty wears off probably around the 30 minute mark; the 13 minute long Warm Slime certainly outstaying it’s welcome, despite a promising opening jam. That song’s endlessly repeated refrain, ‘all you needs is the summertime’ might begin to lose all meaning by the end of the gig, but it’s an appropriate line to go out on as the swelled crowd makes the treacle like atmosphere even more oppressive. In defiance of the elements and appreciation of Thee Oh Sees warped take on summer pop, their are bodies shaking in all corners of the room and the occasional fat drops of moisture descending from the ceiling beams to bust on jiggling heads are either the result of dance-induced condensation or a leaky venue roof. Not that The Tote looks exactly impervious to precipitation, but I’m inclined to plump for the former.