Big Scary, Kins, Step Panther@ The East Brunswick Club,Melbourne (01/04/2011)

Wed 13th Apr, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Sydney rock band Step Panther were the perfect start to the show. In both their attitude and songs, the group seems to be perhaps on another planet (and that’s not a bad thing.) They group were united in their conviction, stating a claim that was forceful and matter of fact.

The boisterous sounds of Sydney’s Step Panther provided the perfect start to the evening. Full of attitude and conviction, they succeeded in garnering the attention of those who had arrived early at the East Brunswick Club. They may not have been playing to a sold out crowd, but those that were present had the pleasure of experiencing their set of much volume and verve. Definitely a group to watch.

Kins are similarly a band that is anticipated to receive much attention in the future. Thomas Savage (ex. Oh Mercy) leads this abstract group, whose experimental pop is a welcome mixture of both melancholy and edgy sound placements. The audience was receptive to what was on offer during their set, with songs that had a hint of mystery and typically bold finishes. Kins began with Fade, Bird, Fade, a track which is mellow, but lures the listener in from the moment the drums kick in. It was easy to be hypnotised by this group’s musicality, and get lost in the intricacies of each melodic shift. The movement within each track was refreshing, with the band not veering into a monotonous state, but rather successfully displaying a signature style that allows room for development between more upbeat tracks, such as their latest release Lake Troposphere and the more subtle effects of Hume Bloom. Savage mentioned the band’s mini LP will be released soon, titled Dancing Back and Forth Covered In Whipped Cream. Having seen them live, Kins – like their LP title- become hard to forget.

These two bands provided the crowd with an insight into what to expect from the main act, with Step Panther’s alternative and lively rock working nicely with Kins more sensitive and organic pop sound. As the band of the moment were soon to prove, they blend the duel elements from both supports effortlessly.

Big Scary is one of those ‘gems in the granite’. Tom Iansek and Jo Syme are the heart and soul of this humble duo that have an incredible cleverness in both their performance and approach to music. The band isn’t big, but their sound is. Their music isn’t scary, just scarily good. As Syme mentions early in the piece, the night was a “celebration”, and this band have every reason to do just that. After releasing their album The Big Scary Four Seasons, the group has gained much notoriety for their ambition and versatility. The album is not their debut effort, but acts as a teaser of greatness to come from this band. It is essentially a compilation of EPs the pair released throughout last year, one to compliment each season.

Their set began with an instantaneous visual impact, as the curtains parted to reveal Syme and Iansek in raincoats covered with sparing autumn leaves. It was an energetic start with Apple Song, before moving into the first season of Autumn. As they took the audience on a journey into Winter, the pair removed their autumn leaves in exchange for coats, beanies and scarves. The eerie tone of The Deep Freeze played whilst the pair regrouped for the title track of the season. Iansek gracefully handled the keys, while Syme earnestly introduced the drums to the song Winter. In Spring, Syme wore a garland of flowers on her head (and a paisley shirt on which she commented “probably isn’t a season, but more like 1969”). The light vocals of Spring was a nice and inspiring listen, making the room feel somewhat lighter. Its simplicity made it evident that what is so beautiful about this band is their ability to both spellbind an audience with a slow paced charm that is tender and soft, and covertly instigate a mob of heavy dancing just moments later.

These musicians have a loyal and encouraging fan base, and one that they certainly do not take for granted, with Iansek at most opportunities thanking everyone, along with family and friends for their support. As much as such loving followers revelled in the moments of humour and fun, they unfortunately dampened the more understated delicacies the night provided with common chatter and a general disrespect to others at the venue.

After Spring brought out a glow, it was time for Summer, and as Syme noted it was “worth the wait”, with Iansek momentarily leaving the stage to change into attire appropriate for hot weather – aqua board shorts and a daggy sports cap embroidered with ‘Dad’. After a few tunes that showed off their more soulful side, the duo had their sunglasses on, and was ready to show the audience the fun sunshine brings, and the fact they don’t take themselves too seriously. The upbeat All That You’ve Got was generously welcomed, with audience participants giving all that they had to getting their groove on. Iansek and Syme graciously thanked their support acts, and in telling they are “their favourite Australian bands right now”, also comforted the crowd in the knowledge that although The Honey Month had to pull out of the opening spot, due to a member having a hole in his lung, he is on the road to recovery and should be ok.

Tuesday Is Rent Day saw these artists at their vivacious best, also playing a number of solid new tracks, presumably to be expected off their forthcoming debut record, which Iansek told they “hope to be recording in a few weeks”. The night was complete with expected tracks of the seasons past, as well as old favourites such as the concluding Falling Away.

Big Scary have been a promising band from their first few releases, but they seem ready now more than ever to release a record that cements their hard work and talents – and it is sure to be nothing short of brilliance.