Sodastream, Aviator Lane @ TheJade Monkey, Adelaide,(23/09/06)

Mon 25th Sep, 2006 in Gig Reviews

Karl and Pete from Sodastream filled an otherwise under populated Jade Monkey with their downbeat, but never down hearted, melodic sound on a wet Saturday night.

The Jade Monkey is one of the few venues in Adelaide which could so seamlessly reflect the simple calm which is the Sodastream vibe and trademark sound. Rather than being a detraction on the night, the small crowd actually made the whole affair feel like one big happy family had gathered to listen to the warblings of these lo-fi minstrels, allowing an intimate interaction between audience and artists. Pete’s double bass with guitar, piano and harmonica provided by Karl produced a hush over the crowd and blanketed all the punters, allowing Karl’s lilting vocals to soar around all and sundry. 

While this was an album launch for their Reservations CD, tracks were pulled from their earlier release, though only those which had been practised were considered by these perfectionists, with their exactness showing through. A chamomile tea experience musically, stirred before hand by an eclectic mixture of support acts, in the form of the obviously talented singer Oliver Mann and Aviator Lane. Oliver Mann would not escape anywhere else than the Jade Monkey unscathed by projectile or at least verbal bantering, with his tripper stories about gun books [you had to be there] and songs which started with a pound of smack, toured through Asia and had some aspect of Hong Kong leather being very important to it all…. this however was fine compared to Aviator lane who looked like he had just left his bedroom, practiced alone in his bedroom and didn’t really want any of us to know what he was singing about, Lord knows i could only make out snippets of ‘done me wrong’ or ‘should have told me’. A man this unhappy with everything could remain in his bedroom or learn from the uber talented boys from Sodastream and combine melancholy with melody and diction….a chilled out night indeed….