Boy and Bear @ Fly by Night,Fremantle (18/05/11)

Tue 24th May, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Checkered shirts were the uniform of the night, being worn by half of the audience. Patrons of all ages made their way into one of Fremantle’s largest original music venues. The Fly by Night Musicians Club was buzzing with excitement, Boy and Bear had arrived in Fremantle for the first time.

Emma Louise had the privilege of opening the night. She was quiet and delicate, softly picking away at her guitar and joined by Daniel Ogelly who played percussion on a wooden box (Cajon). After two songs, the audience made its way to the front to sit on the cold, hard floorboards enthralled by her catchy acoustic folky goodness. Emma Louise played a stripped back version of her song Jungle, which has been getting a lot of radio attention of late and it is clear to see why. Her voice shines above the minimalist instrumental accompaniment, telling stories of cyclones and beloved family members. This was her first visit to WA, but we’ll probably hear more from this talented young Cairns songwriter.

Both the room and the stage filled as Jinja Safari began their set. The flamboyant folk pop five-piece had an array of instruments on stage including setar, djembe, synth pad, electric guitar, bass and standard drum kit. The music started off cluttered, especially in comparison to the simplicity of Emma Louise, but found its feet three songs in. Jinja Safari are a peculiar band, they combine elements of Reggae into their songs and dress like MGMT …or pirates. They received a strong crowd response and got people onto their feet.

Boy and Bear are a band of subtlety. The stage was arranged like a bedroom in disarray with fairy lights, vintage suitcases, and bedside lamps. For their first stop on their Australian tour, the five-piece opened the set with a fairly mellow unknown track before playing Mexican Mavis from their recent With Emperor Antarctica EP. But it was the Crowded House cover of Fall at Your Feet that received the most applause. “You are a very polite audience” front-man, Dave Hosking noted as he thanked the audience between songs. He was right, every set of eyes and ears was on the stage. The crowd erupted at the end of each song, then listened intently to the next track.

Boy and Bear have built a reputation as a humble and poetic folk rock act, with catchy melodies and impressive live harmonies and it’s no struggle to see why. The band has only recently returned from recording in Nashville, and explained how happy they were to be back in Australia. They ended the night with the new single Feeding Line from their upcoming album, though not before respectfully informing the audience that they wouldn’t be doing an encore, but this polite crowd did not fret. They had been treated to a night of quality, live Australian music.

Fly by Night is one of the greatest live music venues in Perth. Even though this was a sold out event, it felt intimate, yet comfortable. It was not overfilled and there was room to move; room to settle in and feel at home, while being witness to one of the best gigs of the year; one the audience will not forget!