Oscar + Martin, Lost Animal,Teeth and Tongue @ MelbourneCentral Rooftop, Melbourne(26/11/2011)

Sun 27th Nov, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Bringing an end to the second annual Melbourne Music Week, Two Bright Lakes and Mess + Noise collaborated to showcase some of the finest independent music around town. With an unusual setting- the rooftop of Melbourne Central- and a strong lineup, only the weather had the potential to spoil the party.

Only a small crowd was on hand to witness Nick Huggins open the event with a late afternoon slot. Though small, it’s probably more than one would expect; just passed 5pm and there’s a steady rain that doesn’t look like stopping. A live band including Seagull’s Chris Bolton and man-about-TBL Kishore Ryan bring Huggins’ latest solo album Five Lights to life. It’s is, however, sometimes hard to spot the band through the mass of umbrellas in the crowd.

Teeth & Tongue start a Tambourine-heavy set with Unfamiliar Skirts. Kishore Ryan returns to the stage for the second half of the set, and his live drums significantly better the old 505 drum machine that Jess Cornelius typically uses. Vaseline On The Lens is a good choice as set closer, but the low volume lessens the usual punch. It’s most evident in the guitar, with Marc Regueiro-McKelvie’s spiky guitar in Walls both buried too low in the mix and too soft on volume. Still, Cornelius’ voice is commanding and the band put in a strong performance. Unfortunately, these sound issues reappear in later sets.

With a sea of ponchos gracing the rooftop, it’s both amusing and annoying to see those in ponchos still holding umbrellas and blocking the view of others behind them. Jarrod Quarrell is joined by bassist Shags Chamberlain to showcase his latest solo project, Lost Animal. To have bass as the accompaniment is somewhat odd: it’s not a definitive or remarkable aspect of the band’s sound. In any case, Quarrell demands most of the attention with a stage presence like a slightly subdued Nick Cave.

With such miserable weather, it’s a strange bit of timetabling that there’s almost two hours of DJs between Lost Animal and the night’s headliners. Bamboo Musik DJs spin an assortment of disco and dance-friendly records, but the early starting time and the comfort of cover and warmth mean that a few in the crowd take the option of a dinner intermission.

With Perth-via-Sydney Canyons unable to pull together their live band in time, headlining duties are left with Oscar + Martin. As one of success stories to come out of Melbourne this year, no one really seems to mind. Kicking off their summer tour for new single What I Know, Oscar Slorach-Thorn starts the set with a new solo track. Thankfully, most umbrellas collapse and the stage is generally visible. However, those further than a few metres back struggle to hear anything. Most punters happily chat through the opening track, but applaud at its end as if having been listening the whole time.

Martin King comes out for the duo’s first single, Recognise. The duo proceed to work through most of their debut album, as well as the unreleased Wa Wu Boys, in a short set. With Grant Gronewold apparently ill, the band omit Sunshine. Slorach-Thorn also admits to being under the influence of cold and flu medication, which could perhaps being to explain tonight’s sub-par performance.

A bassist intermittently joins the duo on stage, and Martha Brown provides extra (inaudible) vocals on a beat-heavy version of Chain Maile. Again, the absence of Bec Rigby detracts from the soulfulness of What I Know. It seems that Rigby’s absence might become a common problem as her own band- The Harpoons- grows in popularity. Tonight, a sped-up and shortened sample of her vocal cut is played where she would usually sing. It’s an unremarkable performance of the song they’re meant to be launching.

The combination of Oyster and Lions Heart is the highlight of the set, inciting the most dancing of the whole set. The duo stumble through Do The Right Thing; first hitting the wrong note and restarting the song, then the drum sample failing half way through. They’re forced to complete the song without the drums, equal parts bemused and embarrassed. Suddenly, “a few more” become two more as they seem to skip to the end of the set, presumably aware that they’re not at their best or too burdened by embarrassment. Hazel Brown, her sister Martha and the guest bassist join Oscar and Martin on stage for closing song My Blood. With this complete five-piece lineup, the opportunity for a set-saving rendition presents itself. Again, the sound mix fails the band: Hazel is only sporadically audible and Martha never, while Oscar’s guitar is far too low.

With the duo standing at the back of the stage while their guests exit, it seems like they’re waiting for encore chants. But when the calls come- and it doesn’t take long- Slorach-Thorn comes to the fore and advises that everyone would regret an encore if they did one. It’s quite awkward as those gathered at the base of the stage continue to scream and the duo continue to stand on stage, blushing and perhaps embarrassed at the lack of more material ready to be performed.

With the raining persisting and occasional gushes of wind, most turn in for the night before Canyons DJs begin. With their long-awaited debut album Keep Your Dreams dropping only a fortnight ago, it’s a shame that the duo couldn’t get their band together in time. Given Oscar + Martin never really hit their stride (but nonetheless succeed in getting the crowd moving), Canyons’ disco jams would have gone down a treat to cap off the night and the second Melbourne Music Week.