“Oh My God I hope they play that song I know. You know… the one on that TV show… that reminds me of me and my boyfriend… Oh my God, I love that song!”
Worrying signs indeed. Would tonight’s sold out Snow Patrol Perth show going to be overrun by an army of Chasing Cars fangirls? Probably. But by the end of the night, the boys from Scotland would have won over even the harshest critic, as they put on a stunning showcase for the capacity crowd.
Warming up the stage tonight were Sydney’s Red Riders, hot off the back of debut album Replica Replica. After playing alongside the likes of Little Birdy and The Living End in 2006, tonight’s support slot. Delivering a tight set filled with catchy indie-rock numbers such as My Love is Stronger Than Your Love, A.S.P.I.R.I.N. and In My Sleep, the Riders are sure to have won over some extra Perth groupies from tonight’s performance. Granted, for the most part they were playing to some nice patches of grass and impatient Snow Patrol fans, in particular group of ladies up the front who use the time to video glimpses of Snow Patrol lead singer Gary Lightbody backstage - though this was due to no lack of energy by the band. To the boys’ credit, their set gathered momentum as it steamed along, and by the time Triple J favourite Slide in Next to Me was blasted through the Amphitheatre, the idle chatter had faded, and the punters were allowing themselves a head nod, or two.
In contrast to the Red Riders’ upbeat, lively antics, ex-Waikiki outfit Howling Bells slinked onto stage to bring a bit of sass to flavour the night. Former Sydneysiders, the band now call London home, and it’s reflected in their haunting brand of soulful indie blues. Frontwoman Juanita Stein mesmerised the crowd as she strutted around the stage, her syrupy vocals flowing effortlessly over the wallowing guitars in a showcase of tunes from their self titled debut. Velvet Girl, Setting Sun, Blessed Night and Broken Bones were among those that got an intoxicating run through, as well as a tasty new number still in demo version. The rest of the band, including brother Joel on guitar, is spot on through the whole set, though all eyes are on the saucy songstress. Closing with the sinister rock stylings of latest single Low Happening, Howling Bells had truly made their mark here, in front of the capacity crowd.
After an excruciating wait and plenty of misguided cheers from fans mistaking the sound check guys for their Scottish idols, Snow Patrol finally took to the stage. Lightbody was brimming with energy as he bounded up to the microphone, throwing his arms in the air in joy – as though he couldn’t believe the amount of fans that had turned up, though that can’t be entirely unexpected considering the show sold out in less than a week.
Bravely opening with a few solid Final Straw numbers (What? They have another album?), after Spitting Games, Wow and Chocolate the crowd was already roaring, even if half of them hadn’t heard the songs before. It seemed to be this way throughout whole night, as the charismatic Lightbody could do no wrong in front of the 4000-odd smiling faces in front of him. He apologised for giving the flu to everyone in the front row – they cheered. There’s a Perth in Scotland – massive cheer. Cheesy line – “We are here to make love, not war!” – well, you can imagine. There was even something of a cheer when he lamented that they would not be able to play hit single Hands Open because previous experience has taught him that his voice would likely die if he attempted it. The punters couldn’t get enough of Lightbody and the feeling was mutual.
It’s Beginning to Get to Me beganthe first showcase of current album Eyes Open. The band operated as a tight unit, powering through most of Eyes Open sprinkled with the gems of Final Straw. The sound mix was spot on (apart from a few complaints from up the front) and the lads were really proving their worth on stage. Add in the dazzling light display and the punters were treated to a spectacular show. Power ballads Headlights on Dark Roads and How to Be Dead kept the momentum and the crowd going, making it clear that Snow Patrol are the great live band they are hyped to be.
Lightbody proved to be quite the enigmatic frontman, prancing and thrashing around the stage in a kind of Chris Martin-esque fashion. His bubbling personality is infectious and the punters could not help but share his enthusiasm. Jokingly, he stirs up a bit rivalry between the underage and adult sections: “You guys can’t drink, but you are closer to death.” The setup was quite strange, with about a fifth of the area sliced and fenced off to create a sort of cage for the underage folk. The teenies probably have the last laugh, though, as their section was noticeably more lively than their older counterparts.
In a surprising move, TV hit Chasing Cars was played relatively early in the set – perhaps the band was trying to make some kind of statement. In any case, it was the mobile-waving anthem that was expected/needed, as thousands sang along to the epic ballad. Having heard the song they came to hear, all of the Grey’s Anatomy fans could have left happy right now – but of course, no one moved. By that point, Snow Patrol had left an impression that would stay with the punters for a while yet.
“It’s time for some God damn country music!” Lightbody remarked as he brought Melbourne’s Laura Jean on stage for a rendition for Set the Fire to the Third Bar. Anticipating that it wasn’t a name the crowd would likely remember, especially the in those in the drinking section, Lightbody requested someone to YouTube the song (sure enough, check it out.) Jean did a fine job alongside Lightbody, filling Martha Wainwright’s shoes nicely. It was another track to add to the list of highlights, as wes Somewhere a Clock is Ticking. Guitarist Nathan Connolly’s backing vocals were spot on, as they had been throughout the night, as were Paul Wilson’s bass duties. The rest of the band seemed content to sit back and let Lightbody take the spotlight, which he did, and then some.
Run, the second of tonight’s mass sing-alongs, proved to be the highlight of the night. Yes, that’s right, it surpasses even Chasing Cars. You would be hard pressed to find a single audience member not belting out the chorus along with Lightbody. The goofy grin which hadn’t left Lightbody’s face all night was bigger than ever, as he stepped back from the microphone and let the crowd finish off the song. The collective sound was possibly louder than Lightbody himself, and all were lost in the moment.
It would be an absolute crime if the band hadn’t appeared for an encore, after the rapturous reception they received tonight. Sure enough, appearing as a silhouette amongst a bright yellow background, the band launched back in with a spirited encore of The Finish Line, Open Your Eyes and Tiny Little Fractures to cap off an incredible night.
So tonight, that band with that song on that TV show (no not The OC) came to show Perth they were much, much more. Sure, it wasn’t perfect – some of the finer details on record like the strings and some less obvious effects were absent or lost in the mix. Despite Lightbody’s aforementioned case of the flu and the noticeable strain on his voice throughout, the crowd enjoyed every minute and it’s a given that everyone will be back when Snow Patrol return to our shores in September.
Check out photos from the gig here.
