The Wombats, Faker, Owl Eyes @Riverstage, Brisbane(13/10/11)

Mon 17th Oct, 2011 in Gig Reviews

The youthful Melbournian Owl Eyes was the opening act of the evening, with the first song Faces somehow suitably complimenting the drizzly weather, its infectious bassline dancing with the falling rain. The delicate vocals of Brooke Addamo were given room to stretch their legs in the natural amphitheatre as songs such as 1+1 and Pieces showcased her understated vocal power, as well as her perfection of pitch. She presented herself effortlessly, with the comfort and ease of a well versed performer for the entirety of her short but ultra-sweet set. While the arena had not yet been filled, those who were there to see her were full of affection, and she returned the favour with the surprise cover of Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People as previously performed on Triple J.

Once the members of Faker bounced onstage, all who attended knew they were in for a treat. From the beginning of their performance, they had a high energy that was showcased with an undeniable conviction. Standout tracks included Hurricane along with Dangerous as well as the self-professed song of attraction Are You Magnetic? and the old-favourite This Heart Attack. All were accompanied by the unconventional dance moves of lead vocalist Nathan Hudson that proved to be the mark of a man who truly enjoys his performance. This is not to say that their cruisier songs were any less catchy— Sleepwalking was perhaps one of the songs that was better performed— however it seemed that the younger demographic preferred a more jump-worthy beat. Overall, a highly enjoyable performance that served as a reminder of just how much this band has to offer.

Once the collective excitement had reached its peak, the loveable Liverpudlians The Wombats decided to increase it tenfold. They began their performance with a cheerful greeting, a few strums of guitars and cheeky grins, and had the audience wrapped around their little marsupial fingers before a single song had begun.

They quickly launched into what felt like a stream of pop anthems. Our Perfect Disease gave concert goers the opportunity to prove their fluency in Wombat: it seemed that the entire crowd knew all the lyrics, at which the trio seemed visibly chuffed. These themes of imperfect and unrequited romance continued through Kill The Director and Party In A Forest and the audience found themselves more than happy to ride along the seamless transitions.

Halfway through their divine setlist, concertgoers were met with Techno Fan. This was not only a treat for the ears, it became an unexpected show of smoke and lasers and seemed to be the only way of upping the ante. A little further through the set was the latest offering of The Wombats, the catchy nostalgia of 1996 which enveloped the amphitheatre and swept straight into _Little Miss Pipedream_—a mellow track was no less enthralling as the bitter sweet harmonies were devoured as a delectable treat by the audience. Moving To New York brought the volume of music and crowd alike back to unrivalled heights which refused to subside until the end. Matthew “Murph” Murphy declared Tokyo (Vampires and Wolves) as “probably the last song of the night, depending on how loudly you can sing along”. It was as if the audience had been holding back their true excitement—a thought which seemed impossible, until the song got underway. Hands, glowsticks and screams filled the open-air theatre in both excitement and fear that The Wombats might not return for their encore.

Long minutes ticked by before the orchestral intro of Anti-D engulfed the arena and, without a word, the entire audience threw their arms above their heads and swayed in unison. Murph did what any cluey front man would do in such a situation: he stood in silence behind his microphone stand, smiling as the audience sang the first few lines for him. The encore continued through Walking Disasters, finally reaching the expected-yet-faultless conclusion of Let’s Dance To Joy Division. A song that possibly ignited the love affair for many of those at the concert, it was more than fitting for all to end such a night singing the repetitive line “we’re so happy”.