The Laurels, Step-Panther,Loon Lake, Fishing @ The Gate,Sydney (22/01/11)

Mon 24th Jan, 2011 in Gig Reviews

The Gate is a live music experience like no other in Sydney. When you arrive, you are greeted by a doorman who politely asks for your name; a far cry from the majority of bouncers at music venues, who could reduce a grown man to tears with a single glance. The venue is essentially a backyard with a P.A. system. This provides an unrivaled level of intimacy for punters and artists alike.

If you haven’t yet made the venture to the Gate, I have some disheartening news for you: this was the last gig to be held at the suburban venue. This is disappointing to say the least, though in some ways it’s a miracle that the idea came to fruition in the first place without fierce opposition from the sprawl of residential houses in the area. In any case, this was a brilliant way to end the experiment, with four amazing young bands giving everything they had to the 100-strong audience.

As soon as Fishing took to the stage, it was clear that they were going to be drastically different from the other three performances on offer tonight. The group consisted of two nerdy-looking kids with mini Jewfros and a stage set-up comprising a few synthesizers, a mixing desk and a Macbook. The duo made up for their deadpan banter and lack of overt enthusiasm with their unique brand of electronica. The beats and instrumentation resembled the sound Animal Collective mastered on Meriweather Post Pavilion, while they heavily utilised vocal loops akin to those of Passion Pit. The set was an engaging and refreshing deviation from the norm.

Next up were Melbourne outfit Loon Lake. The five-piece, with their trebly guitar tone and sporadic intensity, owe a lot to the early 2000’s garage rock revival. These guys are no poor man’s Strokes though. Their catchy riffs and melodies are of the highest calibre. The clear highlight was set-closer Into the Office, which features one of the best smile-inducing guitar riffs I’ve heard in quite some time.

Step-Panther kept the crowd’s spirits high, churning out the kind of short bursts of noise-pop that made Wavves and Japandroids famous. The trio’s sound was predominantly upbeat, despite misleadingly depressing song titles such as Life’s a Bitch and Then You Die. While all three members of the band showed that they had ability, the obvious star was the guitarist Julio, who was most impressive, ironically on a song about “being twenty-seven and realising you’re shit at guitar”.

It’s safe to say that The Laurels have not only earned the label of veterans of the Sydney music scene – they’ve toured relentlessly since 2006 – but also proved that they are one of the most criminally underrated bands in the country. They only served to further prove this tonight. Kate Wilson is easily the best female drummer I’ve witnessed in concert, Luke O’Farrell and Piers Cornelius shared the guitar and vocal duties – both performing sublimely – and Connor Hannan was consistently solid, failing to make an error all night.

Besides Luke O’Farrell flailing like Children Collide’s Johnny Mackay, there was very little movement on stage, with all the other members opting for a stand-and-deliver approach. This worked well in showcasing the band’s musicianship and the intensity of their sound. They seldom addressed the crowd in any form, but there was really no need to. Most fans were quite content hearing them jam to crowd favourites Wandering Star and Turn on Your Mind.

While it is sad to see the Gate finish up after such a short period of time, it was certainly a successful and worthwhile experiment, and I can only assume that the organisers are moving on to bigger and better things within the industry.