Cut Copy, The Holidays @ ThePalace, Melbourne (05/05/2011)

Fri 13th May, 2011 in Gig Reviews

The skyrocketing success of a band doesn’t come more fairytale than that of Melbourne electro pop band, Cut Copy. Forming back in 2001 as the project of front man Dan Whitford, the recruitment of additional band members and the release of their first album Bright Like Neon Love in 2004 saw the band propelled into the spotlight. Seven years later, countless touring both nationally and worldwide, band member changes and two releases later, the boys are back with their third and highly successful album, Zonoscope. Hitting the road with indie darlings The Holidays, Cut Copy played a headline show in their hometown of Melbourne for the first time in three years, to an absolutely adoring crowd.

As the crowd shuffled into the venue for the evening, one couldn’t help but notice the already sizeable crowd for Sydney four piece, The Holidays. Having already toured with such names as Jamie T, The View, Ben Kweller and the Wombats, as well as being somewhat of a permanent feature on the festival circuit as of late, The Holidays treated the crowd to offerings from both their previous EP’s and debut album Post Paradise. Tracks such as 6AM, Moonlight Hours and Golden Sky, received a generally positive reaction from the crowd, with many audience members singing along. Others like Broken Bones and Heavy Feathers demonstrated exactly the reasons they were shortlisted for the prestigious AMP music prize and consideration for their present and future success.

As the venue music declined and the lights dimmed, the raucous applause and cheering from the crowd welcomed Cut Copy onto the stage in fine fashion – literally. Looking positively dapper in long sleeve shirts and black pants (a far cry from their baggy t-shirts of yesteryear), the band dived into Nobody Lost, Nobody Found, warming up the crowd beautifully. Where I’m Going, off their latest album Zonoscope, explored some of the versatility in Cut Copy’s sound; its mellow atmospherics contrasting nicely against the set opener. A crowd favourite came early on in the set, with So Haunted perfectly encompassing the distinctive and intriguing vocals of front man Whitford and succeeding in getting the crowd dancing. By the time Corner Of The Sky began, bursts of strobe lighting were washing over an already frenzied crowd.

In what seemed like an array of hits and crowd favourites, Cut Copy pushed through another highlight of the night with the double-hit of singles Lights & Music and Take Me Over. The band possess a well-honed live show, and the infectious dancing of Whitford and enthusiasm of guitarist Tim Hoey’s were electrifying the crowd into displays of a similar nature. Pyramid’s & Pharaoh’s continued the set with the help of a touring fifth Cut Copy member providing percussion, before the band broke into some more vintage Cut Copy with Saturdays, lifted from their first album Bright Like Neon Love. Amongst a sea of new material, it proved a welcome addition to the set.

As with any Cut Copy show, it is almost unavoidable to continually return to the impressive the use of lighting on display. What began as your average humble stage lighting morphed into repeated blasts of strobe lights, which ended ultimately in the entire stage setting becoming a lighting rig. The platforms that were holding bassist Ben Browning and drummer Michael Scott aloft, were decorated with light panels which, in combination with all other lights utilised, illuminated and in some cases blinded the entire room. A fantastic addition to another highlight of the night, Heart’s On Fire, which had everyone in the venue jumping up and down, shaking the floor, screaming out ‘With heart’s on fire I reach out to you tonight!’.

In what felt like more of a alternative dance party that was both visually and aurally engaging rather than a gig, it was more than noticeable how much the crowd and Cut Copy themselves were enjoying the evening. It seemed the band were almost overwhelmed with the support they had received, with Whitford stating that it was ‘really special’ to be playing to this crowd after such a long break, and that when Cut Copy starting doing the rounds, all they wanted was ‘to play to like, 200 people at The Tote’, a telling example of their deserved success. Closing the set with the fifteen minute epic Sun God, the only thing Cut Copy did was leave the crowd wanting more. As chants of ‘CUT COPY’ reverberated throughout the venue, the band returned to the stage to play an encore of album opener Need You Now. The progressively build of the song set the pace perfectly for fan favourite Out There On The Ice to close the encore. Leaving the stage briefly, only to return once more for a special ‘fan dedicated’ encore, (despite some of the audience already having exited the venue after the first encore), the boys closed their thrilling set with Feel The Love off the spectacular album, In Ghost Colours.

With an incredible set spanning all three of their releases, Cut Copy completely dazzled the crowd from start to finish. In what has been such a monumental year for the band already, they proved there is nothing quite like playing to a hometown crowd. The infectious energy they seem to bring to everything they touch is something that is to be valued not only by the crowd, or their fans, but to the entire Australian music industry. With their present success, one can only hope the band continue producing music and live shows that are as distinctive, engaging and charismatic as we know Cut Copy to be.