Miami Horror, Gold Fields andLove Connection @ The Forum,Melbourne (09/07/2011)

Mon 11th Jul, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Tonight marked the last Melbourne Miami Horror show for a long time. The band’s Summersun Tour is their last before relocating to LA in September. It seemed everyone wanted the chance to see these indie-adventurers before they left Australian shores, and a humming sense of excitement carried through the well-dressed Melburnian crowd that lined the Flinders Street footpath.

The Forum Theatre painted the perfect picture for a comfortable, fun Saturday night. The stage stood at the front of a Roman-esque courtyard, surrounded by statues of Roman Gods and gargoyles, while overhead the ceiling looked like the starry night sky. The whole venue felt like an outdoor amphitheatre, only, well, a whole lot warmer.

Love Connection were charged with opening the evening’s proceedings. Their upbeat electro-pop provided the perfect sound to accompany the beginning of everyone’s night. It was obvious the crowd wasn’t here to see them though, as most people filled the back booths. But with simple guitar and drum lines and cruisey vocals, Love Connection provided a glimpse into their potential as a band.

Ballarat boys Gold Fields were up next. As soon as they took to the stage the crowd moved away from the numerous bars, and out of the comfy leather booths to fill the floor. With their boyish good looks and infectious dance-along beats, Gold Fields were definitely a hit. It was a smart move opening with The Woods and immediately the crowd was singing and bopping along. This carried right through their set; songs My Name and Treehouse were also welcomed warmly by the crowd. With their crisp, polished sound, tribal-esque percussion and the contrasting vocals of singer Mark Fuller and guitarist Vinci Andanar, Gold Fields are definitely set for big(ger) things. By the end of their set, the crowd were warmed up and dancing like crazy. The excited applause (only amplified by the echoing theatre) showed just how welcome the young band was.

After a long wait, four well-dressed, blazer-wearing men entered the stage shrouded in a cloud of smoke to a roar of applause. Vocalist Josh Moriarty, dressed in a bright red blazer and black pants with red polka dots, was the fitting embodiment of a front man.

With such a commanding entrance, it is hard to believe that this band simply began as the love child of one synthesizer-obsessed producer in his makeshift bedroom-studio. That man, Ben Plant, still stands at the keyboard, providing the backbone to the whole mission.

Playing through tracks from both their Bravado EP and Illumination full-length, the set served to highlight Miami Horror’s dance inclinations. They had the crowd under their spell, with not one person on the floor standing still, giving their bodies away to the music. Moon Theory proved a crowd favourite, succeeding in getting the crowd going as they danced, bopped and swayed in time with the music this ecstatic four piece were projecting.

Sometimes and Holiday were rounded out the main set, and they were definitely the most well received. Finally everyone completely let loose, whatever energy they had held onto was now left on the dance floor. As the four-piece exited the stage the crowd immediately joined in a chorus of “Encore” and “One more song”. Only a few minutes passed before Miami Horror were back on stage. Moriarty stepped up to the microphone, jokingly telling the crowd that the only reason for the band’s stage exit was to get a drink of water, before finishing the night off with a track off their new album, Imagination. Gold Fields vocalist Mark Fuller, guitarist Vinci Andanar and drummer Ryan D’Sylva also hopped on the stage, adding enthusiastic percussion to the song.

Overall, this was a very fitting Melbourne farewell for Miami Horror. They had the crowd under their infectious, electronic spell and there was not a disappointed face by the end of the night. As they head off to the U S of A, all that can be hoped for is that the band return with even greater dance tunes. Bands like Miami Horror make anyone proud to call Melbourne home.