Goodbyemotel @ The WorkersClub, Melbourne (30/03/2011)

Thu 31st Mar, 2011 in Gig Reviews

A packed and sweltering Workers Club crowd was on and to see Goodbyemotel play one last show in Melbourne before heading off to New York to record their new album. With their popularity increasing (no doubt helped by a song recently being aired on Gossip Girl) and a full US tour approaching, things are really starting to happen for these guys.

The band seemed to stumble somewhat as they got started, with their timing a little off and a few bung notes hit during their opening song. The six-piece looked as cramped in their small section of the room as their crowd was in theirs, sharing mic stands and struggling to stay within range of the stage lighting. In all honesty, their songs seemed a little out of place in this setting. Goodbyemotel’s big sound and slightly moody compositions sat a little awkwardly in the bright, mood-killing light, and the dry mix seemed to destroy the subtly of their music.

Despite their surroundings, the band quickly hit their stride. Watching You brought with it the first golden moment of the set with a perfectly executed ambient ending, and the peak of Operation Lights definitely impressed. As a special treat, singer Mark Ipaviz revealed that the band had written a song specifically for the show. ‘Ocean Wide Open’ proved a highlight of the set, with gang vocals and Temper Trap-style reverb fused perfectly to create the strongest performance of the night.

Showcasing a bunch of other new songs, as well as plenty from their 2010 full length and earlier, Goodbyemotel seemed to be throwing everything they had at this gig. Despite this, it was difficult to be fully drawn in to the performance . At times, the band didn’t seem fully cohesive, and to be honest their soft/loud dynamic started to feel a little overplayed by the end of the night.

New song My Friend was a pleasant enough send-off for their hometown crowd, but closing with the plodding mid-tempo number seemed a little anti-climatic.

Goodbyemotel are doing a lot of things right, and with any luck they’ll find another level of success after returning home with their new album. All of the elements of a good performance were definitely there, but I don’t think the band have quite pulled them all together yet.