Convincing a hardened rock chick to see the over-hyped Bravery is no easy task. We struck a bargain on the premise of a guaranteed ‘rock god’ moment curtsey of Sam Endicott. Luckily my psychic radar must have been switched to ON.
We were late and missed The Vandas, but weren’t disappointed for long. Faker, my deal sweetener, delivered the goods. Exuberant as ever, Nathan pulled out his best Ian Curtis dance moves, ran laps of the stage, disappearing from view only when the girls down the front managed to unlace his converse. Occupational health and safety hazard averted, he proceeded to belt out the majority of the band’s debut album. Bodies and The Familiar won over new fans, and made me want to go out and purchase their album all over again.
It is hard to believe The Bravery would survive 10 minutes in New York City. They seemed almost gun-shy, taking a few songs (and a fair few bevies), to loosen up. The atmosphere and the mood went up a notch after the band celebrated Endicott’s birthday with a round of Jagermeister shots (although this ‘birthday’ stunt was repeated at The Arena show – the benefits of being on the other side of the International Date Line!)
Alcohol seems to agree with these boys. Guitarist Mike Zakarin was having the time of his life wearing a maniacal grin broader than his white lapels. The heavy underscore and deep synth of Tyrant made the most of the cavernous Prince venue, while teen anthem Swollen Summer had the crowd singing along to the lyrical genius that is ‘What if I’m getting dumber’ despite themselves.
Mid-set, Endicott shrugged off his leather to reveal a navy Ralph Lauren Polo shirt. That pretty much summed up the night – for all The Bravery’s hype, the band and their fans are decidedly lacking in rock credibility. You could be excused for mistaking the show for a typical Saturday night session at One Love. There was dancing, hand waving and unabashed enthusiasm as the band belted out their grande finale, a cover version of INXS’ Don’t Change, all without a shred of irony.
But who am I kidding, plastered with synth sounds and catchy hooks, I loved every minute. Its been years since rock was this much fun.
