Oh Mercy, Gossling @ OxfordArt Factory, Sydney (25/3/11)

Fri 8th Apr, 2011 in Gig Reviews

For the most part of Gossling’s set, songstress Helen Coomes’ performed her woozy piano based tunes with only a cello to fill out her sound. On the second song of the evening she left the cello to solo, and from here their set really began to fall into place as they lay out a watery, hazy, hypnotic film that coated the listening crowd.

Due to the ebbing nature of their songs, Gossling are the sort of band that rewards attentiveness. The loud chatter during their set belied a lack of this from much of the crowd. This need for concentration is seen as much as anything in Coome’s distinctive vocal style. As she sings she sounds as if she is trying to force each note through her feet before it passes on to the listener. This meant that her voice often operated as a third instrument as much as it provided a harmonic and lyrical counterpoint.

It was the fourth song before I even started to pay attention to the words she was singing. It was not that I couldn’t hear them, more that I was so transfixed by the songs and sounds themselves that the lyrics seemed unimportant. At times an acoustic guitar and male vocal joined the duo to play a more upbeat sound, which seemed to misrepresent Gossling’s songs.

Headlining the night was Melbourne four piece Oh Mercy. Coming out onto this tour on the back of their critically lauded second record Great Barrier Grief they had a lot of expectation to live up to. This was made more difficult by the recent departure of founding member and songwriter Thomas Savage. In Savage’s absence lead singer Alexander Gow has undertaken the responsibility of being the public face of a band that has turned into his solo project. He has appeared alone in all promotional material for the record and undertaken all the interviews.

On the stage however, Oh Mercy present a very different face. While previously Gow and Savage were very much at the centre of the activity and attention, with the other members serving as little more than a backing band to their songs, this is no longer the case. They opened with bassist Eliza Lam singing a vocal harmony right alongside Gow and later in the set she was handed lead vocal duties on Great Barrier Grief closer Doldrums. This was evidence of a significant shift in the emphasis of the live band. This has also translated into a general change in stage presence and awareness; Gow seems to have matured into the role of lead singer, and the rest of his band into their roles alongside him.

Their performance showed that Great Barrier Grief is a record that translates strongly into the live setting. The Art Factory is the sort of venue in which bands can easily thrive with its standing room only, low ceilings, loud system and bright lights; however the catch is that the bands need to step into the space and take ownership of it. That Oh Mercy did this is further evidence of their continuing maturity.

This showed in the manner in which they filled out their sound. My past experiences of them in louder venues gave the impression of their getting lost in the sheer volume of sound. This is due perhaps to their concentrating overly on replicating the delicate arrangements that characterised their debut Privileged Woes. The Oh Mercy of 2011 however, with their solid guitar based and pop sensible tunes packing the punch that had been promised. This is not to say that the finesse has disappeared, rather it is now being been used with a greater consideration and maturity as clapsticks, four part harmonies, mouth organ all played their part but nothing is allowed to take over and detract from the show itself.

The highlight of their set came at the close, as they returned to the stage with Gossling’s Coomes on keys. They dove into a dynamic, heartfelt and harmony laden cover Leonard Cohen’s Memories which showcased all that had made their show great. Their performance showcased the underlying skill in the songwriting of the band, their musicianship and cohesiveness. Most of all it highlighted their continuing maturity and growth as a live band.