Waterford, Cracked Actor,Savages @ Transit Bar,Canberra (21/7/11)

Sat 23rd Jul, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Relative newcomers to Canberra’s music scene, Savages, proved that sometimes the show really must go on. They took to the stage without their drummer, who had been “temporarily replaced by a laptop and a Casio.” When a band member is substituted for a chunk of metal and plastic, there’s an inevitable gap to fill. Savages’ keyboardist Evan Dorrian stepped up to the challenge, playing the keyboard, sharing lead vocals and valiantly taking over as laptop operator too. Phew!

Savages’ vocals, which alternated between the guitarist and keyboardist, were the highlight of the set. Guitarist Shoeb Ahmad’s strong, soulful voice was lullaby-like and contrasted with the nerves that the rest of the band seemed to be feeling. Their blend of guitar and gentle electronic sounds has potential, but lacked cohesiveness – it felt as though there were three solo performers sharing the same stage. This seemed more to do with a lack of stage experience, rather than questionable musical ability. With a full band and more stage time, expect Savages to blossom into a great live act in the future.

Next up, Cracked Actor’s melancholy tunes captivated the quiet but attentive audience from the opening bars of the first song. Lead singer Sebastian Field’s voice filled the Transit Bar as he took the crowd on an emotionally super-charged journey from carefree and light-hearted to eerily sad and introspective. Their music is based on simple, understated guitar riffs and soaring melodies, which was complemented by an intense stage presence. Cracked Actor are truly a joy to see live, which made it totally acceptable for them to write their set list on an empty toilet roll.

Watching Waterford open their set was like being slapped in the face by an indie demi-God. There were no soft, instrumental introductions or warbling vocals to ease the crowd into the experience – they launched straight into a ferocious, upbeat musical marathon, without bothering to warm up or stretch their hamstrings. The fast pace continued throughout the set, with no breathers between songs. It’s impossible to listen to Waterford without wanting to get up and dance, and it was disappointing that more people didn’t. One fan coerced a few reluctant people out of their chairs, but the dance floor was still more empty than full.

Waterford looked cramped on Transit’s small stage, and didn’t seem to be able to ‘rock out’ as much as they would have liked. It would be great to catch them in a bigger venue, where they could bang their heads and swing their guitars around to their full potential. They joked with the audience about not missing the Tour de France, which was playing on the TV opposite the stage, and even played a song about cyclist Cadel Evans, called Cadel’s Dream. The highlight of the night was when frontman Glen Martin announced, “Two more songs, then we’re going to go and watch Cadel [in the Tour de France],” before catapulting into two even more high-energy songs that left the audience feeling puffed just from watching them. It was the ultimate ending to a near flawless performance.