The Darlings @ Deville's Pad,Perth (03/06/11)

Mon 6th Jun, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Resident go-go dancers Les Sataniques opened the show and got the crowd warmed up a little before the curtains were finally lifted on The Autumn Isles a little after 10pm. An outrageous time for a gig in sleepy Perth but one that allowed for a few Deville’s Pad signature cocktails to be sampled.

Veterans of the Perth scene, The Autumn Isles have been gigging for around six years now and they were really showing their experience with a well polished set, rich in indie pop melodies that stick in your head for days.

Frontman Alex Arpino looked as dapper as usual, one of the few people who didn’t need to dress up for Devilles. His singing and guitar playing are the heart and soul of the band, but where would he be without his flesh and bones? Daniel Silvestri had some tastefully over-the-top lead guitar work and Tenille Bamford added an orchestral depth to their sound with her Nord Electro, along with the occasional vocal harmony that teased and left you wanting more.

Their performance was filled with memorable tracks such as Murky Water and It’s Been A While, both featuring the delicious kind of pop hooks that many local bands either shy away from or can never achieve, whilst maintaining that indie edge. And showing promise for the future of the band was new track Mystery to Hide, a teaser from their upcoming album Kaleidoscopes, which is set for release soon. Keep an eye out for news about the album launch.

After the intermission, the curtain raised as Angel Darling started The Darlings’ set solo on the acoustic guitar with Trinity, a pretty ditty that showed off her singing and songwriting. The song itself is the B-side from their double A-side single and was a nice opener before the rest of the band joined her on stage.

Perhaps grungier than what the usual Deville’s crowd might expect, The Darlings are an interesting blend of punk with alt-pop, the latter being the stronger end of their spectrum, the former not always meshing so well with the more vibrant songs and the sweet voice of Angel.

The highlights of the set were the songs from the double A-side, particularly Beloved which had a hint of Smashing Pumpkins in it and wouldn’t sound at all out of place on a 90’s ‘alternative’ college radio station. Not all the songs carried themselves so well though, the band currently lacks a repertoire as well developed as that of their veteran opening act, but they show promise for such a new band, having only six months of action behind them.

The Darlings ended the night with a cover of Out Tonight from the musical Rent, which saw Angel’s most powerful vocal delivery of the night. Whether this was because she had dropped the guitar for that song, or if it was the comfort of performing a well known song is unknown. But either way, there is definitely some untapped talent there waiting to be brought out.

Overall, an enjoyable set, and congrats to them for bringing something different to Deville’s so successfully.