Sebadoh, Smudge @ MetroTheatre, Sydney (21/09/11)

Mon 26th Sep, 2011 in Gig Reviews

About a third of the way into the set Lou Barlow mumbled something about having a 30 song set. A ripple of laughter went through the crowd and things got moving again. After exactly 30 songs the joke was on us. Sebadoh are nothing if not honest.

The very early 90s saw some pretty heavy hitters, and it’s fair to say there hasn’t been a breakthrough of its kind since (and not just the rock scene). The recent celebration of Nirvana’s seminal album Nevermind and the emergence of quite a few 90s garage revivalist bands signifies either the 80s has been exhausted as a reference (it’s a bizarre thing for something to die twice), rock has reached a natural state of creative exhaustion and looks back to these halcyon days searching for the catalyst to propel it into the next century, or more likely a bit of both.

As part of this regrettably inevitable process, Dinosaur Jr recently pulled off a neat Lazarus manoeuvre and came back hungry, J Mascis ready to shred again (and shred he fucking did). Long-time estranged member Lou Barlow found himself absolved of sin and forgiven and contributed to a riveting return to form. Invigorated by this success Barlow shoved electrodes into his long dead creation Sebadoh, and has enjoyed great success with these lo fi giants as well. Sydney last saw them 15 years ago and it was a great show to welcome them back (although this time we had considerably less hair).

Home town slack rock representatives Smudge opened up and explored some solid material from an impressive catalogue. Smudge enjoyed popularity here around the same time as their Stateside counterparts, releasing three albums up until 1998. Band leader Tom Morgan was actually a crucial element to the Lemonheads breakthrough It’s a Shame About Ray and shared a great creative relationship with Evan Dando.

Their set was relaxed, moving through material from all three albums and enjoying the healthy response from a pretty full crowd. The support act is integral in generating the energy the main act exploits, and it was nice to see so many people there early on to support them and really engage with what they were doing. A faithful rendition of the Lemonheads’ classic Outdoor Type was a savvy play to feel inclusive those who hadn’t actually heard of Smudge, and there were definitely a few. The group’s shaggy dog aesthetic was endearing and their arrangements were simple, jangly, fuzzed out pop numbers filtered through the sunburnt haze of many Australian summers.

Given a bit of practice and a decent fuzz box it wouldn’t be difficult to replicate the loose sound Sebadoh developed. In that light there was no real apprehension or niggling doubts about the possibility they’d lost their touch over their extended hiatus, and there was an incredibly casual vibe permeating the whole experience from the moment they walked on stage and with Harmacy’s On Fire right through to melancholy closing number Willing to Wait. Barlow’s radio friendly voice is as smooth as ever and their playing was crisp and energetic. Bob D’Amico’s drums were super tight and the simple arrangements were strong and most importantly loud.

The sound desk always seem to have a tougher job than usual at the Metro, as the space is full of odd shapes and cold hard surfaces so the sound bounces around a bit and can be tricky to get right. Sebadoh sounded great though, with the levels all really clear and balanced. Jason Lowenstein’s wild experiments like S. Soup and Love To Fight were awesome in the throes of their gritty spasms, and the room was absolutely full of the most amazing noise. The volume was astonishing but it never got heavy, just loud. The softer material from Barlow contrasted beautifully, and sections like the transition from the angular frustration of Sister to Bubble and Scrape’s lovely ballad Soul and Fire worked really well. It was a generous set, a reward for waiting so long, and it was put together well.

The gig was great. Everything worked; the banter, the crowd, the mix, the music. Everything was pretty low key and had a vague DIY feel. Nothing was manufactured about their decision to get back together and tour. There’s a level of spontaneity about them that’s refreshing, and they seem like they could be pressing forward with any number of projects (perhaps Barlow’s surprisingly successful follow up The Folk Implosion) but they chose to get this one back together. They’re not going to sell boot loads of albums/reissues/best-ofs nor are they going to sell out stadium shows. They’re doing what they’re good at, and at the moment that’s reminding us of the agitated energy and aggressive honesty of 90s indie rock. Hopefully it kick-starts some of that hungry attitude again and perhaps help reinvigorate an increasingly listless scene.