What do you get when a band seems to put away all sense of pretence, just getting on stage to enjoy their music and enjoy the situation they have found themselves in. Well on Thursday night Perth got Tapes ‘n Tapes.

The darlings of this year’s South by Southwest conference, Tapes ‘n Tapes have been riding a high with the commercial success of their second album The Loon and sellout shows across Europe.

Local supremos Snowman claimed the coveted support slot and took to the stage having just received a spot on next year’s national Big Day Out tour. Drawing the crowd in from the beer garden with a plethora of feedback and sustain driven noise, they seemed ready to give a typically earth shattering performance.

The subdued and less then impressive crowd filtered in slowly as Snowman launched into their tirade of haunting melodies, ear piecing riffs and vocal extremes. It has been the year of Snowman, led by a charismatic and intriguing frontman Andy Citawarman.  His vocal range impresses every time they perform and his music driven convulsion can captivate even the most hardened of gig goer.

However during tonight’s performance that usual level of intrigue and explosiveness that follows this band was lacking. Their set flowed from drawn-out and ill-timed numbers and convulsions of noise that failed to move a crowd that needed a shake up.

Mid-set they launched into You Are a Casino and current single Smoke and Mirrors seemingly turning a corner in the set but they settled back into a comfort zone that was not serving them well. Throughout their performance they lacked timing and the energy the crowd was so eager to experience.

With a style that is so dependent on energy when it is not existent, their performance suffers.  There is no doubting that Snowman are fantastic band, however, tonight it was evident that it has been a very long year for the Snowman Empire.

Hailing from the musically rich city of Minneapolis, home of Prince, The Replacements and a fella named Bob Dylan, Tapes ‘n Tapes have a pedigree befitting their hometown.

Passing through the now swelling crowd unrecognised before hitting the stage to the sounds of Genesis, their appearance defied their status among the indie scene. It was evident early that they were beyond tight as a band. They flowed perfectly with each other, in complete synchronisation, a smile adorning each members face. Launching into the opening riff of Just Drums the crowd jumped as one as there true indie rock sound rocketed across the Amplifier.

Singer and guitarist Josh Grier revealed to an excitable crowd that they had just started their final show of close to a two-year tour in “one of the world’s most beautiful cities”.

The early stages of their set failed to captivate but one thing was for sure: Tapes ‘n Tapes’ enthusiasm for their own music could not be denied. As the set got going, the crowd’s reaction started to reflect the band’s energy and pure joy on stage.

Drummer Jeremy Hanson, with his Keith Moon-like style is captivating to watch but more so his flowing manner explodes across the crowd, the other members feeding perfectly from him.

As their set progressed so did the energy amongst the audience. Playing their ode to Minnesotan town Manitoba and then moving into their successful single Cowbell, they were obviously playing for themselves, enjoying every moment.

The brilliant thing about this band is that by playing for themselves they are in essence playing for everyone in the crowd: there is no split between the band and the audience.

Finishing the set with the infectious Insistor and the near perfect Jakov’s Suite, Tapes ‘n Tapes do leave you wondering ‘why the hell didn’t I write that song?’.

With a set consisting of older and newer songs Tapes ‘n Tapes impressed by being less then impressive. Perhaps finally we have a band that is in it for the pure thrill of writing, playing and sharing their own music.