There are certain ways to build anticipation for a show, but surely none as strong as making punters wait almost half an hour after the announced commencement time. Anxiously, questions arose – is the band lost in the backstage labyrinth? Did Isaac Brock, the band’s eccentric leader fail to not hit a note in sound-check? Are their rider demands not met? Is the newly enlisted Johnny Marr more difficult than imagined? Or (and this is probably the most likely answer) does setting up a stage with a multitude of instruments, including two full drum kits and guitar pedals, take longer than anticipated?
By 10:55pm, Modest Mouse had finally taken to the stage and they were a welcomed sight. Opening with a new track Invisible Your Car, off their forthcoming album We Were Dead before the Ship Even Sank, the band were in loose but fine form. Ex-Smiths member Marr looked comfortable on stage amidst the tattooed and comparably younger entourage. The die-hard devotees argued whether Interstate 8 was better then The Fruit That Ate Itself while spectacled Smiths followers tip-toed to catch a glimpse of Marr’s contributions. There were even the O.C addicts and recently converted, eager to convince strangers nearby that they knew all the lyrics to the as yet unreleased tracks.
Something seemed absent until 15 minutes in when a familiar smell started wafting through the air. Ah, the horticulturists had arrived! Side-stepping head-nodders alike stayed jammed, tightly tapping and swaggering to the eclectic, genre-defining sounds of a band 13 years strong. The band started the familiar guitar sprawls of fan-favourite Oceans Breath is Salty, alternating their set between material from the most recent efforts (The Moon and Antarctica and Good News for People Who Love Bad News), with a few new tracks thrown in for good measure. The inevitable crowd eruption came with the popular Float On, with fans fisting hot air and chanting the song’s stomping lead-out. Bukowski’s irresistible slyness followed, leaving a down-tempo open-door for the mellower new-track Missed the Boat. Marr’s contribution was beyond sufficient, juxtaposing suiting vocals and roaring guitars to the new and old material, in some cases improving upon the band’s already unhinged, pedal-heavy guitar work.
Isaac Brock’s confused interaction with an angry crowd-member remained one of few between-song banters of the evening. As they debuted the hick-country tinged Dashboard, the seven-person strong band were uniformed in sound, with both drummers frantically riding heavy on their kits; constantly keeping in check, grinning and resisting temptation to upstage. This was like watching the making of Brian Wilson’s smile on acid. Brock’s quasi-astronomic philosophic lyrics were strategically hidden through an arsenal of distortion, beats and screams then disappearing behind the mosh-guard, precluding the familiar opening riff to World at Large with “now we’re going to take you to a fantastical world, with Wizards…and Warlocks…and dragons”.
The show took a sharp turn into energetic jamming territory with the band cutting loose on Fire it Up and The View, only to finish their first set with a disappointingly flat Bury Me with It. After a five minute break and ample crowd-chanting, the band took to the stage again to commence the conclusion of their one hour 45 minute set with older track Dramamine featuring Brock obtusely singing into his guitar. The show was cut two songs short, finishing on Doing the Cockroach which broke into a psychedelic jam session; starting and stopping with aberrant crescendo drums before coming to a screeching finale. Hopes remained for a second encore, disparagingly turned off by the sudden house-lights.
I’m surely not the first person to suggest this, but the Palace has to be one of Melbourne’s most awkward live-show hosts. Putting this aside, Modest Mouse’s debut Australian show was both embraced with the open arms and jerking legs of an adoring indeed community. There were very few doubts that Modest Mouse would prove themselves live as pioneers in their sound. Isaac Brock has an acquired voice that will always remain nothing short of distinctive. Any doubt cast over Marr’s involvement should remain short-lived following his revival into a younger community of fans. Thirteen years and eight albums later, Modest Mouse have finally shown Melbourne what they’ve been missing out on.
