Supported by excellent West Australian acts Flesh of the Lotus, Benjwa and DJ Aarom Wilson out in the beer garden, Bordello put on a high energy spectacle to launch Lie in my Bed to their Perth fans.
Benjwa was first up and the trio announced a few songs into their set that it was their first gig – ever, which got huge applause from the crowd. Something about these guys is Ben Folds Five meets jazz, meets blues and you want to be holed up in a smoky little club allowing yourself to be mesmerised by the lead singer’s deep and haunting voice and the flawless fusion of easy listening music with an edge.
Flesh of the Lotus were next and considering the mellow sounds of Benjwa that leave you dangerously relaxed considering your there to ultimately see a funk-rock band -they successfully lifted the spirit a little just in time for the main act.
Bordello started with a punch, leading right into the loud, fast party tunes they are so well known for and lead singer Ben Johnstone jumped down onto the dance floor twice to encourage those wanting to boogie too come out of their shells. It was impossible to sit or stand still, even if you didn’t feel like shaking your booty. The title track “Lie in my Bed” makes you feel like you’ve been transported momentarily into the disco era and it was definitely the crowd pleaser of the night.
Neither the crowd nor Bordello were happy with the short time allocation for their set, a few minutes shy of the strict closing time of midnight they finished up, much to the disappointment of fans who chanted “one more, one more”.
Forty-five minutes gave Bordello just enough time to show off their new sound, play a few oldies for those who remembered them prior to the Melbourne relocation, remind Perth how much they miss us and consequently whet the appetite enough to make you want to buy the EP and tell all your friends.
Some might be sad they moved to the east coast, but seeing the way they have developed their sound and honed their performance skills – we should be nothing short of proud. Damn proud.
