Swervedriver @ Becks MusicBox, Perth (20/02/11)

Tue 22nd Feb, 2011 in Gig Reviews

The sons of Mustang Ford are back after a thirteen-year lube and oil change. Turning the Swervedriver engine over into a dazzling rendition of Sci-Flyer from their 1991 debut Raise, the crowd were quickly reminded of the legacy the four Brits have created over more than two decades. Swervedriver are musical alchemists who pen exquisitely-crafted songs that sonically harbour more texture and weaves than a Persian carpet emporium.

That the bulk of the set was written well over fifteen years ago, only reinforced the timelessness of the band’s sound – especially considering the use-by date of other bands that rose from England’s shoegaze scene in the early 90s. Swervedriver have maintained a darker edginess that helped them skirt the periphery of the scene and in the process build a rabid fan base in the US and Australia.
Unfortunately, when it came to dealing with the record industry itself, they suffered greatly from ‘protracted period(s) of record label problems’ that dented the chances of Swervedriver reaching the levels of appreciation they deserved.

In 2011, with no new album to promote, the band has the luxury of a back catalogue of powerful and progressive albums to draw from, and they delivered. The ‘big’ tunes from Raise ( Rave Down, Sandblasted, Sci-Flyer, Son of Mustang Ford ) were accounted for and from Mezcal Head; Duel, Girl on a Motorbike and the show highlight Duress (surely their own Cortez the Killer by now!) left mouths agape. There was less of a nod to their last two albums, Ejector Seat Reservation and 99th Dream with a song or two from each wedging its way into the set but then Swervedriver even pulled out some old b-sides, reminding us that b-sides once did actually exist and are never to be shunned as mere filler.

For this tour, Raise -era drummer Graham Bonnar filled the seat of Jez Hindmarsh (a dynamic live performer in his own right) giving the songs a tilted percussive straife that occasionally misfired with minimal collateral damage. Bonnar’s less dynamic style was evident where the interplay between the Hartridge and Franklin guitars came to the fore. Rarely does one see or hear standard chords in Swervedriver songs. Instead, a pile of noodling guitar lines, motifs and inflections prod and probe each other out across the stereo field and with Steve George laying a powerful bass groove, everything somehow falls into a righteous place.

No doubt, Western Australia will remain a vivid memory to the band as their last gig before imploding in 1998 after supporting Powderfinger (!) at the Settlers Tavern in Margaret River. Here’s hoping that this time Perth remains just their last Australian gig for the tour and we will see them again. Mr Franklin we heard what you said and will not forget!