The Books @ Beck's Music Box,Perth (16/02/2011)

Mon 21st Feb, 2011 in Gig Reviews

It’s a time that all Perth music fans longingly wait for each year, the sole month that Beck’s Music Box graces the Esplanade. It’s no wonder, since the venue is simply one of the best in Perth. Its spacious surroundings, laid back vibe, and collection of fine couches make both punters and bands feel at home… not to mention the amazing open-aired top and stage setup. Add the fascinatingly diverse annual line-up, and Beck’s Music Box easily becomes the music connoisseur’s choice of music venue. On Wednesday night, Beck’s Music Box offered the world’s best ‘folktronica’ group, The Books.

Melbourne’s Grand Salvo (aka Paddy Mann) would take the stage before The Books appeared. The gentleman at first appeared solo with his guitar before introducing accomplice Biddy Connor, who proceeded to play a variety of instruments including violin and saw. While the duo were an understandable opener for The Books, especially in regards to their folk elements, they seemed a little lost in the Music Box and occasionally retreated into background music. That said, the duo’s set was musically pleasant, even if it wasn’t completely entrancing.

Originally hailing from New York City, The Books (cellist Paul De Jong and vocalist/ guitarist Nick Zamutto) have one of the more original sounds of the last decade. Some call it folktronica, which apt, but the truth is that they belong to a genre entirely their own. They play mainly using acoustic instruments and folk melodies, but overlay this with all sorts of samples, loops and effects. Sometimes their music is beautiful, other times it’s humorous, and often rather strange. Much of their music consists of found sounds, – from cassettes they’ve found in thrift stores, garage sales and anywhere they manage to find them and incorporate them into their own music. They also use found footage during their live shows. In fact, the two art forms combine in a way that almost seems like The Books are sound-tracking their very own short films. In short, it’s an entirely different experience to what most are accustomed to.

In contrast to Grand Salvo’s performance, where the audience decided to stay on the couches, the Beck’s Music Box floor quickly filled when The Books finally appeared. The trio took their seats and immediately began their set with Group Autogenics from last year’s brilliant The Way Out. With samples from self-help and hypnosis tapes, ‘Hello, greetings and welcome. Welcome to a new beginning’ was the perfect opener for what was to follow. Zamutto introduced the next number, I Didn’t Know That, as a song about golf and the film proved him right. It’s fairly safe to say that golf has never been as entertaining as it was for those three minutes. The trio continuously switched instruments throughout, and were as entertaining as their films, their musical virtuosity bewitching to watch throughout.

Zamutto introduced an early highlight, A Cold Freezin’ Night. Many of the samples were taken from a range of tapes they had found baring the title ‘Talkboy’. The Talkboy was a tie-in device with the second Home Alone film in the early 90s, and was basically a simple tape recorder marketed to kids. The Talkboy tapes included some of the craziest recordings the Books had ever heard, and it was obvious that they needed to write a song around them. A Cold Freezin’ Night blew everyone away. It was simultaneously hilarious, unnerving, and the greatest moment of the set. The only track in the main set that came close was the beloved Take Time, with which they closed the show.

Of course, an encore had to follow after the crowd’s deafening applause, and The Books were only willing to oblige. They closed with the rare and heartfelt Classy Penguin, dedicated to Zamutto’s brother who wasn’t able to make it, and featured footage of the Books as kids followed by a cover of Nick Drake’s Cello Song, an appropriate choice for De Jong’s divine talent with the instrument. It was a more than satisfying finale to the Books experience, and rounded out the night beautifully. What a night it was.