Birds of Tokyo @ Metropolis,Fremantle, (02/10/11)

Wed 5th Oct, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Filling the support slot tonight were rising stars Boy in a Box. Receiving heavy airplay on Triple J and having visited WA numerous times over the past few months, the crowd’s attention peaked during singles Moon Comes Up, Glitter Gold Ruin and The Longest Road. They also threw in a cover of Iggy and The Stooges Search and Destroy for good measure. Their ‘Super-happy power-punk’ full of anthemic choruses and a heavily percussive backbone was a nice warm up for the night’s headliners.

Lead singer Tobias Priddle is strikingly similar to the Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon. From the melodic, soulful vocals right down to the outfit: Slicked back hair, simple T-Shirt and jeans and tattooed arm sleeve. However the performance skills fall very short compared to Gaslight. Although they were doing all the right things musically, they were not connecting with the audience. If anything, they were too relaxed on the stage. It felt as though we were watching a rehearsal, not a performance. Amusingly, Gaslight’s American Slang sounded over the PA speakers at the conclusion of the Boy in a Box set. Those not familiar with Gaslight could have been forgiven for thinking that they were listening to the same band.

The thirty-minute wait between bands felt like an eternity. Excitement levels sky-rocketed as the lights dimmed and electronic sound samples introduced Birds of Tokyo to the stage. The silhouetted figures took their positions and wasted no time, diving into crowd-pleaser Broken Bones. From this moment on, the set became one massive sing along, as every member in the audience sang the songs back at the band.

Considering the Birds’ success, and their having played a string of festivals and much larger venues, it was strange to see them return to a small stage in such an intimate venue. They were so close together that when Ian Kenny launched into his Peter Garratt-esque dance moves he bumped into either bassist Ian Berney or guitarist Adam Spark. But the boys were clearly enjoying every minute, as they could not wipe the smiles off their faces.

The crowd reacted warmly to new song This Fire, which they debuted. The song starts with simple theme and builds as the song progresses. By the end, you just want to belt out the lyrics with Kenny. The intense emotion is released and then the song returns to the simple theme with which it began. With a catchy melody and easy to learn chorus, this could easily be Birds of Tokyo’s next single. Older fans were treated to two songs off debut album Day One. Desperate and Eduardo. It is often easy to ignore multi-instrumentalist Glenn Sarangapany, hidden at the back, but he made his presence known as he donned an electric guitar and rocked out to these heavy songs. The inclusion of these older songs highlighted the stark contrast between the old, heavy material and the new, more melody-focused material.

One highlight of the night was If this ship sinks (I give in). It is the first time Birds have taken this song on tour. The beginning of the song explodes in your face, but soon fades out to a beautiful melody which sees Ian Kenny strap on an acoustic guitar and softly serenade the audience.

Punters had a chance to rest their vocal cords as the band decided to do something they do not usually do, play a cover. A few Band of Horses fans came out of the woodwork as Laredo was performed. Energy levels were once again lifted when the usual set closer, Silhouettic and Wild at Heart were played.

Birds of Tokyo exited the stage (For a frustratingly long time), however it was painfully obvious that this show was not over. After all, the song that really threw them into the mainstream had not been performed yet. The gig was ended on a high with White Witch and Plans. You know a song is insanely popular when all recording devices are removed from pockets and held firmly in the air for the duration of the song. Suddenly the dark room looked like a starry night sky.

The show proved to be a massive success, with a well-balanced set of old and new songs to please every single fan. It is a great shame that Adam Spark turns his back on the audience or hides in a corner during his guitar solos since that’s when the fans want to see him most! As the band head into the studio to prepare for the release of their fourth studio album, the fans walked away with a sense that they had been a part of a truly special show.