The Joe Kings @ RosemountHotel, Perth (7/04/11)

Sun 10th Apr, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Another Friday night, another gig at the Rosie – however luckily for punters, the night’s offerings were set to be well above the average for local gigs. The agenda? A temporary farewell to The Joe Kings as they tour the nation with Jeff Martin (to meet “hot young guys” according to front man Patrick Stirling) before holing up in a Melbourne studio to record what we all want to hear. It was a celebration of outstanding Perth music, with the Joe Kings’ new single the star of the lineup.

Opening the proceedings were the too-cute-for-words Perth foursome Seams. To anyone who has never seen Seams before; you should damn well consider this your education! They are a breath of fresh air on the music scene: intriguing to listen to, compelling to watch, and wildly enthusiastic to boot. Boomer featured the frantic violin antics of frontman Lyndon Blue, impressively working the almost empty room. If you missed it – unlucky. The beauty of Seams’ style is that it is both unexpected and contagious. The Moon is Bigger than it Looks is haunting, otherworldly and manages to showcase an experimental sound without being too tryhard. In contrast, Early is upbeat and wonderfully catchy. Even a slightly daggy cover of The Beach Boys’ Get Around came off as endearing and in the spirit of the night. The diversity of their set was bang-on, and they made sure that no sound was wasted and no instrument unnecessary. Throw in some novelty stage tricks, like the beer conducted sound-mixing, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a party.

Second support The Voltaire Twins didn’t quite pull off the same perfect execution. Perth’s synth-pop darlings were plagued by technical issues that seemed to get the better of their composure. It did not detract from their performance too much, the popsters still managing a strong, high quality and mostly polished set. The fans (and there were lots of them) saved their best dance moves for the ever-popular Cabin Fever and D.I.L – songs which are surely Perth pop legend by now. But despite the fact that Rosie’s groovers and movers were loving the twins Voltaire, Tegan and Jaymes Voltaire’s own enjoyment was not entirely convincing. Perhaps a little tired of playing the same old stuff? One of the stand out songs from the set was easily London; much darker and more mature than the rest of the almost-too-saccharine set.

When it was finally time for the main course, The Joe Kings opened dramatically – a sole Stirling on keys, under the spotlight. By the time his fellow jokers joined him on stage, it was clear that tonight would raise the bar for every and any Perth gig to follow. Song of the night Leave My Mind Behind is, quite simply, incredible. It is a hard rocking, but still immaculately polished number that convinces the listener to completely let go themselves.

Stirling’s voice has to be heard to be believed, even if only for the fact that it doesn’t not look like it should belong to him! Close your eyes and you would imagine an old, seasoned and round bellied blues man. The slight Stirling, in his zebra striped tank top, does not quite paint the same picture but has a raw, powerful voice which could just about knock you to the floor.

The new single also showcases Phill Leggett’s exquisite talents on guitar. And ‘exquisite’ isn’t even a big enough word to cover the breadth of this man’s ability. A true blues showman, Leggett smashed out an intricate solo all the while working the stage like an absolute pro. That is not to overlook bassist Riley Watson-Russell, whose nimble fingers were plucking the stuff that many could only dream of. In fact, The Joe Kings are all fantastic performers. Their exuberant love for the stage shines through and you can tell that they truly enjoy what they do. Their connection to the devoted audience was almost tangible – a love that was clearly reciprocated by more than one screaming girl fan.

Into the Night was just of a number of songs that proved that The Joe Kings are not just a one trick pony. Instead of only blasting out addictive party blues, Into the Night and Take Me Home displayed raw emotion, painful vulnerability and amazing diversity. I’ve Got a Letter For You was a heavier, unique tune which allowed the Joe Kings to mix things up and keep punters on their toes.

The night’s neat little surprises came in the form of a fun, but not particularly unique, cover of The Young Rascal’s hit Good Lovin’ and an on-stage jam session. Good Lovin’ was maybe a bit of an obvious choice, but oh-so-enjoyable and managed to keep the crowd jiving. Still, it would have been nice to get a more original interpretation (they’re more than capable of delivering one). Ryan Brewer then left his post at the drum kit and took to the keys to initiate a sultry, wounded blues jam which also featured Jack from the Voltaire Twins’ backing band on saxophone. Talk about sexy! Stirling crooned his fans into submission over blues jamming at its best – super smooth and filled with emotion. If their chosen genre carries a certain stigma, these Perthites do not conform to it. They breathe a new life and put a fresh, young spin on whatever they touch.

After Friday night’s show, it is 100% clear that Perth is about to birth a star. This farewell was not even the least bit bitter-sweet, because we have not heard the last of The Joe Kings who are set to get bigger and better with every passing day.