It’s a risky thing to do changing band names. We all know how successful Shihad’s name change to Pacifier was. With only a minor change to their lineup Waikiki rechristened themselves The Howling Bells, and with a move to the UK became the darlings of the NME. Their debut album under the new moniker garnered them a 9/10 in the much maligned but respected music rag. Having extensively toured the United Kingdom, The Howling Bells have returned to Australia for their debut tour.
Highlighting just how risky the proposition can be, one fan reacted with calls for the Waikiki classic ‘Here Comes September’ early on in The Howling Bells set, to this front woman Juanita Stein wryly retorted, “It could only happen in Canberra.” The Howling Bells played to a small yet appreciative Canberra crowd of about 150 at the ANU Bar. Whilst on stage all members of the band looked relaxed and were really enjoying the prospect of playing their material even to this small crowd. Without a barrier or any semblance of a stage, the crowd didn’t quite know where to stand, but before the end of the first song had crowded in close to the stage.
As they played their set, one could not shake the notion of the familiarity with the band. Stein’s voice and delivery are quite unique, and it becomes hard to shake the Waikiki sound to evaluate their talents on an objective level. What The Howling Bells do, they do very well. Their songs are tight, well structured affairs, with each telling a story. The most marked departure was the tenor of the songs; no longer the happy affairs, now much more brooding pieces. It has been remarked in most of the major music press that the only reason The Howling Bells could do this was their move to London, where they were able to reinvent themselves.
It will be interesting to see them again in a couple of months time when they tour with Placebo; will a larger crowd make a difference to what is seen and heard on stage?
Supporting the Howling Bells were Melbourne’s Red Riders. Complaining of illness received through playing to Melbourne’s fashionable late night crowds, the band struggled through a great set. Their set, whilst shortened, was really enjoyable, the highlight from their set came from their radio single ‘Call on Me’ which had the small crowd tapping their toes, with three dancers up the front going nuts. With the Red Riders supporting The Living End on their upcoming tour, I’ll be keen to see how the band compares when fighting fit and raring to go.
