Dead Letter Circus @ TheNewport Hotel, Fremantle(20/11/11)

Thu 24th Nov, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Originally only East Coast dates were announced for the ‘No Fracking Way’ tour, but by popular demand Dead Letter Circus were coaxed to head West. A week before the tour was due to begin news broke that lead singer Kim Benzie had cracked his ribs. Despite this, the band soldiered through a four-day tour of WA, ending it at the Newport Hotel in Fremantle.

Dead Letter Circus have a reputation for bringing an eclectic, high quality mix of support bands on tour with them. Previously they have hit the road with alternative metal heads Sydonia, electronic rock band MM9, and neo rockers [ME]. This time, they bring with them Adelaide’s dance rock group The Killgirls and Perth’s alternative rockers Wolves. Clearly the trend continues.

The crowd didn’t quite know how to react The Killgirls. Combining elements of rock with strong synth lines, they sound like they just stepped onstage the Boiler Room at Big Day Out. Looking around the room it doubtful any of these punters have paid a visit to that side of the BDO grounds. Despite the initial cold reaction, The Killgirls decided party so hard it felt as though they were playing for their own headline crowd. The energy emanating from the stage finally had an effect during their cover of Sabotage, which saw the crowd begin to loosen up. The entertainment continued with the first few lines of ‘Sk8r Boi’ mixed in with their own song Set Yourself on Fire. This band know their genre and they do it well. They deserve much more recognition.

The dark, dissonant tunes Wolves create juxtaposed The Killgirls party tunes. Not surprisingly, guitarist Russell Winter attracted the most attention with his jarring dance movements. Wolves have obviously grown more comfortable on the stage, and this shows through their improved performance skills, vocalist Adam Burford even high fiving the few punters brave enough to stand in front of the stage. Waltz never fails to bring out the dancers but the highlight of the set goes to radio friendly Children, which contains chants so catchy that it had punters not familiar with their material singing along.

The wait for Dead Letter Circus to jump on stage felt like an eternity. Finally the DLC boys made a staggered entrance to the stage, first Stewart Hill picked up his bass, then Rob Maric played around with his guitar for a bit and Tom Skerlj followed suit. But where were Luke Williams and Benzie? Wait, this was a false alarm! The disappointed crowd realized that this was just a last minute sound check before the main event as the boys turned their backs to exit the stage. After 15 more minutes of teasing (The venue continuously dimming the lights), The boys took their positions on the stage in the pitch-black venue to the sound of Portisheads ‘Machines’ blasting over the PA. Soon the lights kicked in, and so did the music as the band launched into older track The Mile. Those who were not aware of Kims condition would not have suspected a thing, as his vocals were powerful as they usually are.

During previous shows the band have appeared nervous and withdrawn on stage. But they have really come out of their shell. Their stage presence is much more relaxed and this has improved the connection between band and audience. The fans know every single lyric and Benzie knows exactly when to let the crowd take over vocals. Disconnect and Apply and single One Step had the crowd singing at the top of their lungs.

Dead Letter Circus are currently preparing a second album. To hype the punters they previewed a new song titled Sleepers. If this new song is any indication of the new direction DLC are heading in, fans that prefer the heavier elements of DLC will be ecstatic. The song starts with a classic sonic DLC feel, when suddenly the guitars smash through your skull. Benzie has some catchy vocal lines, which had punters singing along already.

Kim announcing that they would be playing the first song written as a band was honey to the hardcore DLC fan ears. Punters lost their sanity when the recognizable, spacey guitar riff to Tremors rang out. Beginning only with the guitar riff, soft cymbal tapping and building vocal melody, the soft extended intro slowly progressed to the heavier full band version. The band have not played this song live in WA for at least three years, making it a very special moment.

Next in line is a good example of the classic DLC sound: Frenetic drumming and bass lines contrasted by soaring vocal melodies and spacey guitars. At the conclusion of this song the boys left the stage bar Williams, who remained seated behind his kit to play an impressive drum solo before the rest of the band returned to finish the night off with Here we divide and Lines.

Being the last time that the band will visit this side of country until the release of their second album, the sweaty crowd left satisfied and grateful to have witnessed one of Australia’s premier progressive acts in such an intimate venue.