Papa Vs Pretty, Last Dinosaurs@ Oxford Art Factory, Sydney(01/04/11)

Tue 5th Apr, 2011 in Gig Reviews

The days may be well be getting shorter as winter looms, but Brisbane quartet Last Dinosaurs are certainly not a bunch to let frosty weather dampen their glowing, cheery energy. The lads have gone from strength to strength since their humble beginnings on Triple J unearthed. Since 2009 they have collaborated with Sydney producer Jono Ma (Lost Valentinos) on their EP Back From The Dead, toured nationally with Yves Klein Blue and played at the prestigious Splendour in the Grass.

Given these successes, it was no surprise that the Oxford Art Factory was packed with eager fans as the boys took to the stage. Opening with the new tunes Surf Song and Sunday Night before dropping into the indie-pop hit As Far As You’re Concerned the band wasted no time engaging the crowd with their youthful enthusiasm. Following this the boys treated the crowd to a string of unreleased new tracks before swinging back into the dreamy Honolulu and charming new single Time and Place, currently on high rotation at triple j.

Last Dinosaurs delivered a formidable set. Their live sound has a fantastic sense of energy, excitement and positivity about it that goes above and beyond that seen in the mastered tracks of their commercial releases. Their new unreleased material is exceptional and is well worth checking out next time they are in town.

Next up were headliners Papa Vs Pretty. However, as they set up stage it quickly became apparent that many punters had come primarily to see their prehistoric support act. Even though it was only 11.30, the crowd thinned out quickly and considerably. Undeterred, the band proceeded to take the stage and performed with enthusiasm.

What followed was a solid set that ticked all the boxes but simply lacked the raw energy that was provided by Last Dinosaurs. Crowd favourites Sgt. Suffer, Piper and Heavy Harm from their 2010 EP all went down well, as did a smattering of new material. Lead vocalist Thomas Rawle did well engaging the audience with inter-track banter. One gripe I always have with Oxford Art Factory is that the sound is always ear-splittingly loud but often distorted and I feel this unfortunately detracted from Rawle’s trademark howling vocals. However, most of the dancing and wailing audience did not seem bothered.

Overall, both bands did a fantastic job tonight. I await the release of both of their debut LPs with anticipation.