Pinback @ The Bakery(17/08/11)

Sat 20th Aug, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Playing to an intimate crowd of hardcore fans and long-time followers for their first time in Australia, old-school indie rock outfit Pinback soothed Perth fans with their tranquil yet disquieting sounds, but their live show lacked enough refinement to hit the sweet spot, falling just short of greatness.

Local talent Leap Year were the perfect appetiser with a progressive indie, alt-rock blend that recalled the 90s’ bleak, oppressive suburban themes and the ennui of disillusioned youths. They kept the crowd entranced with layered instrumentals composed of droning guitars contrasting with captivating chord structures and raw, unrefined vocals that were evocative without being careless.

They met with a meek Bakery crowd that filled out about two metres of floor space and did little more than clap and stare, prompting one of them to jokingly remark “The politeness is killing me.”

That same crowd soon cheered the Pinback trio on with a bit more enthusiasm as they took to the stage, awkwardly greeting the crowd with “You guys better get the fuck back… alright, c’mere, c’mere,” while the crowd shuffled backwards and forwards in confusion. Many beers (about a carton) and many strange remarks later, lead singer Rob Crow would go on to admit that he shouldn’t be allowed to talk, yet he continued to be amusing and talkative regardless.

They began the set with the languid Tres and Bloods on Fire juxtaposed with visuals of a 1930s depression-ridden USA and burning cars. Their sound was unmistakably North American with hints of math, pop-punk and skater rock all peeking through a veil of a darker, matured alt/indie landscape.

Thanking his fans for not throwing a can of Fosters at his head, Crow and the band moved on through the next few songs in an exceptionally long set, knocking out the brilliant Penelope and crowd favourite Non-Photo Blue flawlessly with solid vocals and harmonising from both Crow and bassist/vocalist Zach Smith throughout.

Of note was a lot of the band’s sound coming from pre-recorded samples synced up by the drummer on a laptop or other device. Almost every song they played had a bit of help from the machine and, while it was disappointing to hear some leading guitar riffs taken care of through automation, it’s only understandable they didn’t bring extra members just to take care of extra instruments on a per-track basis.

After 11 songs they played new mystery material for the fans to preview before the release, Crow jumped into the crowd to dance for a while during an electronically enhanced version of Fortress, then went on to introduce the next song by posing the question: What do you do after your peak? The song was a quiet tribute to the late Larry Walters the “Lawn-Chair Pilot”, simply titled Walters and accompanied by photos of the man himself.

They finished their set eight songs later and came back after an encore to finish for good after another three songs on the typically American and spirited AFK.

Although they played solidly, their reliance on pre-recorded instruments limited their capacity to create a more organic live show. Their set was still a blast and it’s always great to see such a wonderful band in the flesh, but it was still a tad exhausting to continually enjoy them without any breaks and 22 or more songs for the night. The band themselves would intermittently stretch just to keep from cramping.

Sore and exhausted, the night ended unremarkably with a few quiet words but with a resonating sense of satisfaction, just the way Pinback like it.