In a musical landscape where bands can be become ludicrous parodies of themselves (The Darkness), or chastised by critics as being brazen rip-offs of bands from preceding decades (Wolfmother, Jet), great caution must be taken when walking the revivalist/ retro rip-off tightrope. Bands like Diamond Nights, the ‘Hell City Glamours’ (the main supporting act on this occasion), and their countless long-haired, skinny legged contemporaries teeter ever so perilously along this margin of critical appraisal. An otherwise inconspicuous leopard skin, lycra body suit or an overused falsetto can prove the vital difference between credible and “incredibly annoying by the second single”.
From amongst the pretenders, the Diamond Nights stand out as true professionals; masters of the synthesiser, scholars of their influences, and on Friday night – exemplars of the live performance. Having performed to a packed Onesixone crowd on Thursday night, those who attended Friday’s gig were taken aback to find that there were only a hundred or so people in attendance. Nonetheless, after a couple of promising local bands strutted their stuff, the aforementioned Hell City Glamours’ geed everybody up with their archetypal sex, drugs, rock n’roll attitude. The Glamour’s maintained an astounding stage presence; in no small part due to their plumber’s crack showing (yes, the jeans were that tight…and low), beer guzzling front man Oscar.
Following the frenetic energy of this performance, the Diamond Nights more or less cruised, or floated onto the stage in that way that only the leading band on a night can do convincingly. Diamonds’ front man Morgan Phalen immediately announced that tonight was going to be a somewhat “intimate affair”, and from then on, all eyes (and at some stages – arms) remained locked on him. Kitted out in an eclectic array of couture (most notably, skin tight white jeans and a leather jacket), Phalen looked like a hybrid between a fashionable Stroke and a Ramone with an eyebrow length fringe.
A minute into the set, and with mic in hand, the Diamonds’ lead man lurched through the crowd, grabbing onto everyone who crossed his path, and intermittently endeavoured to light fires, begin “mystical” chants, and take us all on “a journey to the infinite horizon”. During hit single ‘Girl’s Attractive’ Phaelan took the unorthodox measure of inviting all the girls on stage. Regrettably only the ultra-alternative, badge wearing, studded-belt brigade rushed the stage to engage in less than enticing displays of faux homosexuality, but it made for an amusing spectacle nonetheless. Other standouts were the jumpy ‘Saturday Fantastic’, the bluesy ‘Snakey Ruth’, and closing number ‘Ordinary Life’ that Phalen performed solo.
In reality, apart from the actual sound of the music itself, Phalen performed the whole set solo. This was one of those gigs that those in attendance will be able to boast about in a year or two’s time – when they “saw Diamond Nights’ Morgan Phalen in full flight in front of a crowd of a hundred”; categorically brilliant stuff.
