Custard @ The Standard, Sydney(23/09/2011)

Tue 27th Sep, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Can you even call it a reformation? Custard have been picking and choosing reunion shows for almost two years, playing very select shows under very select circumstances – Queensland’s 150th birthday, Meredith Music Festival, and a fundraiser. This time, they’re here to break in Sydney’s newest Oxford St venue The Standard. A new space for music in Sydney isn’t exactly a milestone (though it’s not hard to argue its importance in the erratic Sydney venue market), giving the Sydney shows – their first in twelve years – a unique simplicity, and a fairly intimate environment compared to the other post-reformation gigs.

Drummer and occasional frontman Glenn Thompson was certainly at ease pre-show, looking on from the crowd as his son Wintah led Little Lovers through their opening set. The songwriting similarities are as clear as those physical, with Little Lovers’ jangle making for a great appetizer – pop hooks much like those that brought the crowd here, with a young roughness that stakes out their own musical territory.

Custard, on the other hand, have had their musical territory staked out for a long time now, and it’s been rarely revisited – their smart-aleck pop (which has seen them unfortunately, yet understandably mistaken by some for a novelty group) remains a fairly nineties affair – it’s hard to think of many groups who have made music with the same tone since their ‘99 breakup

So their set, a hour-long blitz through their singles and fan favourites, unsurprisingly hit the spot for the sold out, mostly Gen-X audience. From Goofinder through to Caboolture Speed Lab, they flung themselves into the material with a particular sort of enthusiasm, that of a band who don’t need to prove anything, and probably won’t be back. And they did it with gusto. Dave McCormack (who is looking more and more like Paul McCartney of late) clearly enjoyed himself on stage, something shared by his bandmates. And that was all that was needed to sustain the crowd’s excited energy, as the singles kept on rolling… Pack Yr Suitcases, Lucky Star, Music Is Crap, I Feel Like Ringo, Nice Bird and plenty more.

And then, with a two-song encore, they left – no empty promises to come back, no tearful goodbyes. It was a victory lap set, the band and audience reconvening to celebrate a bunch of great songs and party, for a brief hour, like it’s nineteen ninety-nine all over again. That’s all anyone needed, and it’s exactly what Custard delivered.