The Gaslight Anthem @ MetroTheatre, Sydney (28/2/11)

Thu 3rd Mar, 2011 in Gig Reviews

In five short years, there is no doubt that New Jersey band, The Gaslight Anthem, has become a mainstay on the international festival circuit. Following the phenomenal success of their third album American Slang, The Gaslight Anthem were naturally going to generate interest on their way through Australia for the Soundwave tour.

Their sold-out gig at the relatively small Metro Theatre in Sydney promised to be entertaining judging by the quality of their records. To a surprisingly full room considering the time, the support had quite the task ahead of them.

Foxy Shazam’s set opened in a relatively methodical fashion. Steady beats rumbled through the room, but it was quickly apparent to all that there was nothing methodical, or ‘docile’ about this band at all. Gaslight’s singer Brian Fallon later described the band as if ‘Freddie Mercury and James Brown had a baby’.

Strange as that image sounds, their extravagant outfits, voluminous, curly hair, and differing styles of epic beards seemed to compliment their live performance. Typically, support bands are generally met with polite indifference, however, their showmanship demanded attention from the punters. Their set was punctuated by lengthy musical interludes and banter akin to that of a stand up comedian. Shazam’s frontman deftly dealt with hecklers and laughter could be heard reverberating throughout the Metro Theatre (which doesn’t generally happen when listening to anecdotes of animal cruelty and prison stints).

There was no doubt that the band was having fun, featuring acrobatic, inverted piano playing and synchronised dancing. While their stage antics were undoubtedly entertaining, it detracted ever so slightly from their musical performance. The vocals harmonised well, sounding somewhat like Modest Mouse frontman, Isaac Brock’s vocals. The band closed the set with an accapella song, showcasing their genuine talent. Their name, Foxy Shazam it seems provided an accurate depiction of their eccentric personalities and their live performance.

The huge crowd that had turned out to watch the support was a testament to The Gaslight Anthem’s popularity. By the time the lights had dimmed, and anticipatory hum filled the room. Behind closed red curtains, a gentle piano riff gradually progressed into a rapid, fast paced, High Lonesome. Gaslight Anthem didn’t waste anytime in between their opening songs. Wooderson was excellent in involving the crowd; the front row centre barely stopping for air.

Following the eccentricities of Foxy Shazam, any doubts about Brian’s ability to entertain the crowd between songs were quickly forgotten. The Gaslight Anthem frontman was genuinely entertaining. His banter lasted a little longer than at other conventional gigs, but no one present was complaining. A chuckling crowd could be heard, as the set slowed down notably for Diamond Street Choir. Up until this point, the crowd had been vocal, and this proved to be no exception throughout the slower songs.

Choruses of ‘yeah we’re waiting’ echoed through the theatre for The Spirit of Jazz. It was apparent to all that the band was feeding off the energy of the crowd, which reflected in the energy of the performance. Later in the set, American Slang was no different, receiving an anthem-like reception.

If diehard fans present were wondering whether the band would only cover songs from the album American Slang, they had little to worry on the night. Sink or Swim featured extensively in the set, but surprisingly, it was the songs from ‘59 Sound that received the best reactions from the crowd. 59 Sound was met with huge screams while the mosh moved relentlessly.

While The Gaslight Anthem have, in the past, acknowledged their Motown influences, a new song, self-described as ‘the odd-ball song’ presented a new direction for the band. Undeniably catchy, the departure in sound from previous work shows promising signs for the new record. However, they did go to great lengths to assure the crowd that they were not going to ‘write a blues album’.

Bathed in blue and pink lights, a haunting rendition of Here’s Looking at You Kid was clearly the highlight of the night. The clean, solo guitar licks filtered throughout the small venue. The crowd hung on every word, while those who were singing along tried to do their best to do so quietly. It could have been the significant contrast in tempos from other songs in the set, but other quieter songs were equally well received. Miles Davis and the Cool and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (all ’59 Sound songs) were other songs worthy of a mention.

After a long-lasting set, The Gaslight Anthem returned to the stage for a six-song encore. Featuring mostly songs from American Slang the crowd responded with delight. However, with the encore opening with Bring It On and Queens of Lower Chelsea, as well as Navesink Banks, the energy from the crowds for the faster songs were lost slightly. Apart from slight issue with the way the setlist was organised the encore was excellent and extremely generous.

The Gaslight Anthem played a lengthy, entertaining set, delving into each of their records extensively, catering to new and old fans. Expertly changing tempos and controlling the atmosphere with skill, their meteoric success over the past five years doesn’t seem so unusual. Although it was disappointing not to hear We Did It When We Were Young, it would have been tough to find a disappointed punter.