Big Scary @ Jive Bar, Adelaide(28/10/11)

Mon 31st Oct, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Five years and six EPs later, Melbourne duo Big Scary finally delivered the goods in the form of their debut album Vacation. After a whirlwind national tour in support of the release, the duo found themselves winding up their time on the road in Adelaide’s indie-haunt Jive, where a packed out crowd were taking advantage of the flowing drinks and had their dancing shoes on and ready to go.

First up for the evening was local act The Scarlet Ives whose style of shoegaze, alternative rock was unfortunately hampered with sound issues throughout the set; the swirling guitars drowned out the vocals on far too many occasions. While their sound was punchy, filled with catchy hooks and ambient guitar, the grandeur of their sound wasn’t quite translated to their stage presence, with their performance lacking any real ‘oomph’ to it, as they meandered through the set making them less than entertaining to watch.

Next on the stage were Melbournites Buckley Ward. With the five members sandwiched on the stage surrounded by keyboards, floor toms, guitars and drums, I knew we were in for a treat. Describing themselves as a musical chameleon, there was a bit of everything here; sweeping, percussion driven tunes, sun-soaked vocals with dripping guitars, and hook-happy riffs. The Triple J Unearthed band looked pretty comfortable on the stage frolicking in their own beats and I’d be keeping an eye and/or ear out for these guys, their tunes are sure to make waves this summer.

As Tom Iansek and Jo Symes took to the stage and got into the swing of things with an instrumental number, either the audience didn’t realise the set had started or they just didn’t care, as the mindless chatter continued over the top. It wasn’t until the second song, Gladiator, the lead single off their debut album that people’s ears pricked up and they started paying attention. Following up with another instrumental, the crowd became restless again, so much so one daring punter had the balls to yell out “more vocals!”

Whether the duo got the hint or whether that was the end of their dabble in instrumentation, the rest of the evening went off with a bang. Iansek moved between the guitar and keyboard while Symes held the fort behind the kit as they played an diverse mix of new and old tracks. Like a greatest hits session we remembered past hits Tuesday Is Rent Day, Apple Song, and Autumn which were weaved in and out of new tracks Purple, Mix Tape, and Falling Away as well as a sneaky Bruce Springsteen cover of I’m On Fire.

The eclectic range of the evening’s set felt like a showcase, and was proof in the pudding that Big Scary’s talent is wide and far-reaching. They can pull off anything from slow and delicate to big, bold and brash, all the while capturing fan’s hearts with their brooding indie rock.