Waterford LP launch with TheEllis Collective @ The WhiteEagle Polish Club, Canberra(18/11/10)

Mon 21st Nov, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Canberra bands Waterford and The Ellis Collective presented a creation of past and present at the launch of Waterford’s long play, Say Ok. To be more precise: on the night Waterford demonstrated their contemporary Australian synthesis of geek-pop music rich in 80s and 90s pop influences by playing songs from their debut album, and The Ellis Collective dove into blues with new songs, strings, wife beater and an Australian accent, then surfaced with more familiar songs; the two bands managed to cross paths during the night somewhere at country.

Birds Love Fighting Records and The Canberra Musicians Club hosted the launch at The White Eagle Polish Club, offering patrons Pierogi in one room and music in the other. Both rooms were nicely filled with fans eager to hear two of Canberra’s much loved bands. For The Ellis Collective the audience sat attentively as the band strode through a bunch of new material that included more vocals from saw and violin musician Emma Kelly alongside the Collective’s lead, Matty Ellis. As the set progressed the band relaxed into the more familiar territory of songs that have long held crowds rapt. At the conclusion of The Ellis Collective set the crowd cleared the floor of chairs ready for Waterford.

Now don’t confuse nerd-pop with geek-pop, the sound of one band clapping is right; Waterford, and in particular front man Glen Martin, took to the stage with the awkward gusto of a group that has pronounced itself Smithsonian indie, and the audience took to the cleared dance floor to sway, hair thrash and bounce with eclectic style to the intelligent, melodic and rocking tunes.

Waterford’s lyrics were muddier than when they played in-store at Landspeed Records on 31 October, where they celebrated the release of Say Ok with a lunch-time gig. But with their shirts out of style, they brought the Happy Days feel that came before Chachi and Joanie moved to Chicago to make their own music, and the crowd swayed. Further into the night, while delving into heavier intelligent sounds that fans of the Go Betweens, The Stems or The Triffids would feel comfort with, the band drew more people from their seats at the back of the venue and Waterford launched an album that Triple J listeners will no doubt become more familiar with.

Waterford will be playing the Empress Hotel Thursday 1 December in Melbourne, go. Also check them out on Triple J Unearthed and Bandcamp.