The Dandy Warhols, Los Huevos@ The Tivoli, Brisbane(31/05/11)

Tue 7th Jun, 2011 in Gig Reviews

It was with much sadness that I missed the opening set of Bob Harrow from Immigrant Union due to a minor ‘misunderstanding’ outside the Tivoli. From the wafts of harmonica and soothing folksy sounds coming out the main door, it sounded like something that shouldn’t have been missed and hopefully someone can fill us in on how it went in the forum.

I enter to see Brisbane’s very own Los Huevos take to one side of the stage and begin their eclectic set of intense, psych-surf. The best way to describe their music is to imagine a movie directed by Tarantino, where he has asked these guys to do the soundtrack, and they provide a raw set of smoky Saloon western with acid surf. It’s hypnotic, it’s surreal, and it’s made even better when joined by Jamie Trevakis on the saw. Yes, the saw!

Opening with The World, The People Together , The Dandy Warhols launch straight into two hours of pure delight, moving effortlessly between songs from The Dandy Warhols Come Down through to sneaky previews from their forthcoming record, This Machine. Courtney Taylor-Taylor is looking a little Brad Pitt-esque tonight and the band do their usual line up along the front of stage, with Zia McCabe on the left with her tambourines, keyboard and synthesizer, Brent De Boer smashing away like Animal from The Muppets on the drums, yet still managing to provide all the harmonies at the same time, while Pete Holström hangs out at the right, flanging and phasing away on the guitar.

The crowd are loving tonight, the band seem relaxed, and despite being at the very end of their current Australian tour it feels like this is as fresh as their first show. Solid and We Used To Be Friends go down a treat before we are given the gem, Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth. It takes me back to when I first saw DIG, and resolve to watch again, as it is a must-see for any fans of either the Dandys or BJTM.

Taylor-Taylor chats amiably with the crowd, discussing their last visit to the Tivoli in 2008 on the night that Obama won. He ironically comments, “We had such high hopes for him”. This reviewer recalls being in the crowd on the night in question, elation coming from stage and watching the band toast their new president with Champagne. Three years on, it’s a slightly more jaded observation coming from the stage.

But while politics is often disappointing, tonight’s Dandy-a-thon is anything but, as the band moves through a swathe of songs, including You Were The Last High, Love Song, The Legend Of The Last Of The Outlaw Truckers AKA The Ballad Of Sherriff Shorty and The New Country. We are treated to two sneak peeks from the new record, which I think were called The Y Signal, a song inspired by Richard Dawkins and Rest Your Head. They do the job of teasing us with what is coming, and from a first taste, it looks like This Machine is going to be cracker of a record. It’s unfortunate that we have to wait until 2012, even though the record is nearly finished according to Taylor-Taylor.

You Come In Burned is a sultry success, followed by the band leaving Taylor-Taylor alone to conduct a sing-along for Every Day Should Be A Holiday. Then a run of Horse Pills, Bohemian Like You, Godless and Get Off very nearly lifts the roof off the Tivoli. All too soon the night comes to its close, with CT-T explaining that he has not had a cigarette in a month and will be lighting up 60 at once the moment he steps backstage, while sipping a glass of Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc. (Excellent choice on the wine.)

The band wrap up with Country Leaver, which seems apt considering they are flying out the next day. However, they return for an allegedly unplanned, unrehearsed encore, which I completely forgot to write down and now can’t remember. Oops. However, I do remember Taylor-Taylor walking back out smoking a cigarette for the encore!