Chet Faker, Rat & Co. @ TheToff In Town, Melbourne(26/11/2011)

Tue 29th Nov, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Selling out your very first public live show at a well-known venue is a rare and impressive feat – and one that rang true for Chet Faker at The Toff in Town on Saturday night. Riding on the back of recent Internet and radio buzz with his lead single Jeans and Wallet, Chet Faker was out to prove his darkly programmed-based tunes could translate in a live setting.

The Toff was crowded from the early hours with punters seeking refuge from the torrential Melbourne downpour, wringing themselves dry around the bar and staking their spot close to the stage. Fortunately for support Rat & Co, this meant much of the crowd sat curious and cross-legged, lapping up the band’s eerie and ambient sounds from beginning to end. This was a successful live debut for the band, particularly given they have no official releases past some scattered demos available on Soundcloud. As they continue to develop their sound and show, they will surely be an act to watch closely in the future.

Realising his songs via a full live band, Chet Faker ( Nick Murphy ) arrived onstage with drummer, guitarist and bassist in tow, whilst manning keyboard and programming duties. Murphy’s voice on record is sleepy and cigarette stained, but when heard live is one that can contend with the likes of Chet Baker himself at its peak. His voice pierces with strength and earnestness above the fleshed out sounds of his instrumental support; truly the centrepiece of this project.

Terms and Conditions, a delicate and dirty paradox of a song, was the set highlight; an unreleased track but a likely indication of what will undoubtedly be a strong and exciting release. Slight technical issues occasionally surfaced– mostly affecting the vocals – but this never noticeably distracted the band or their confidence.

Visual treats were provided by spontaneous projections and kaleidoscopic colours against a white backdrop as the band powered through their bass heavy, jazz-inspired tunes, presenting the show as a well coordinated harmonious package.

Whilst his recordings are already gorgeously mellow and dynamic, Chet Faker’s arrangements obviously benefit from the addition of acoustic instruments to the samples and programming, bringing a fleshier, fuller sound to his set and more life to the songs. Jeans and Wallet and recently hyped favourite No Diggity (a cover of the 90s Blackstreet hit) were the most celebrated among the crowd and were similarly complimented well in their acoustic form.

On leaving the Toff, it was clear that Chet Faker are a group well on their way to developing into something truly exciting and strong, once they have a few more shows under their belt and a solid, refined debut release.