The Grates, Big Scary,Guineafowl @ The HiFi,Brisbane (01/07/2011)

Wed 6th Jul, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Tonight’s openers, Sydney six piece Guineafowl, may be young and still in the very early stages of life as a band but their sound and ambition is both large and admirable. Their live show is polished and well received by the crowd, many of whom would have been unfamiliar with the group. With factors such as three guitarists, face paint and a cover of Sia’s Clap Your Hands, Guineafowl do live music their way and it’s working. Watch this space.

Big Scary are another band on the rise, with a constant flow of national support slots, appearances on multiple festival bills and hype building towards their debut full length which is to be released in late 2011. They pick up where Guineafowl left off, rolling through tracks from their (rather large) catalogue of EP’s and getting the crowd moving in the process. Genre seemed to be a variable, with elements of pop, rock and blues evident throughout the set, combining to produce a rather unique sound.

For the people of Brisbane, it’s been a long wait for the return of hometown heroes The Grates. Since their last publicised show in town, they had lost a drummer, recorded an album in the USA and performed a couple of “secret sets” at local venues. The album, Secret Rituals, is their third LP and easily their most polished work to date. Touring in support of its release, The Grates have lost none of their charm, appeal or fan-base as tonight’s gig has sold out, leaving more than a few disappointed fans stuck in West End regretting not purchasing tickets online.

The Grates kicked things off with Carve Your Name, which had the audience moving from the first chorus and displayed instantly that the band, and in particular front-woman Patience Hodgson, have lost none of their raw energy that has always been a trademark of their music. Taking equally from all three albums, they mixed hit singles in with old favourites and brand new tracks but each song, whether five years or five weeks old, was wholeheartedly embraced by the crowd.

Highlights were plentiful, ranging from the rawness of 19-20-20 and Science Is Golden to the crowd singing along to Burn Bridges and encore Aw Yeah and even the exciting live versions of Secret Rituals tracks Turn Me On and Change. The Grates haven’t changed much but still remain entertaining and refreshing. It’s difficult not to enjoy their music in any capacity but on stage is where they really shine, making the entire audience feel as if they are part of the performance rather than simply watching it. The Grates are back and Australian listeners are much better off for it.