Jonathan Boulet, The JohnSteel Singers, Love Connection @ The Corner Hotel, Melbourne(27/04/2011)

Thu 31st Mar, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Those who missed out on local boys The Parking Lot Experiments should have been kicking themselves. Jonathan Boulet describes band as the sort you watch and wonder why you play music. Simply put, they are an incredible indie pop band that leaves you questioning why you may not have seen or heard about them before. This is precisely the feeling I had when I saw them for the first time at another gig last year in Melbourne. When you see them again it is simply a pleasure and impossible not to enjoy, they make you smile and they were a great opening to the night, irrespective of the thin Sunday night crowd.

Love Connection provided additional local support, and while the crowd was still a little sparse, they played a thoroughly enjoyable set of loud indie rock and succeeded in getting a few members of the crowd dancing. The only thing that detracted from the catchy tunes was the extreme reverb that made almost every word unintelligible. Nonetheless, Tim Morrisey from The John Steel Singers later praised Love Connection for erasing the memory of a late night and early morning travel from Adelaide.

With anticipation growing for the two headliners, the crowd gathered to the foot of the stage for TJSS. There is a reason this band has had so much attention poured on them by Triple J. Their 2010 debut album Tangalooma served to confirm their songwriting ability and musical talents. Overpass, the first single from that album, was certainly a favourite with the crowd; bodies swaying side to side and heads bopping to the driving marching beat. Annoyingly, the John Steel Singers make playing this music look far too easy but thoroughly enjoyable to watch. To achieve that sound with only six people? If you weren’t watching, you could swear you were listening to an 18-piece band. To finish of an awesomely tight entertaining set, they saved their best effort for last and tore through crowd favourite Rainbow Kraut.

Jonathan Boulet’s set, in a word, was loud. The sort of loud when your whole body buzzes and thuds with the pluck of the bass or thump of the kick drum. Unfortunately it was so loud that despite the quality of the performance, it was difficult to hear much over the ringing in your ears. The crowd nonetheless lapped up a highly energetic set, with many singing along to Triple J hit Ones Who Fly Twos Who Die.

As the heat in the room rose with the decibels, crowd favourites A Community Service Announcement and new single You’re A Animal rounded out an enjoyable evening.

To be able to go to a gig on a Sunday night and see such awesome local music is pretty special, and serves to highlight just how healthy the Melbourne music landscape is. Upcoming local bands beware; you have to compete with these guys.