The Walkmen and the Archie Bronson Outfit were one of the most talked about lineups on this year’s PIAF calendar. But before the show had even began there was a glitch; the threatening weather had forced the gig inside the main auditorium. Though the Concert Hall has beautiful acoustics it’s not the same as the glorious Beck’s Verandah on a balmy summer evening. The Walkmen hailing from New York, and the Archie Bronson Outfit from London (originally Wiltshire) had both come across the world to play to a vocal crowd in little old Perth. Despite the indoor setting, and the consequent awkward silences between songs, the evening was a resounding success.
The great thing about sitting inside a concert hall is that you get a great view no matter how far back you are due to the slope of the seating. This was fantastic during The Walkmen’s sparkling set but during the Archie Bronson Outfit it seemed like much of the audience just wanted to get up and dance – and that’s exactly what they did.
Sam Windett, Dorian Hobday and Mark Cleveland’s bombastic bluesy rock and roll was a hit right from the outset, with punters roaring in appreciation. Partway through their set a couple of female fans decided the best view of the lads and their facial hair was right from the front. Soon after, with a bit of coaxing from the band members, hordes of fans made their way to the front for a rollicking time as the band continued its ear splitting, but thoroughly danceable outbursts.
Modern Lovers and Dead Funny highlighted the diversity of the Archie Bronson Outfit’s latest album, Derdang Derdang (these two words seemingly the best adjectives to describe the Archie Bronson Outfit’s music).
After the interval between sets – a few minutes to grab a beer and some noodles – The Walkmen emerged onto the stage, a large portion of the audience now up the front, cheering in full voice. The band began their set in a restrained fashion, however, their vintage sounding instruments and the ethereal organ was enough to ignite a warm buzz inside fans. Louisiana, the single from 2006’s A Hundred Miles Off, was the first showing of their A-grade material.
The band progressed through their set (despite singer Hamilton Leithauser’s concerns for his safety, arising from a malfunctioning microphone), playing Little House of Savages; appeasing fans who jumped on board after hearing the song in question on The OC.
These days The Walkmen have made a concerted effort to get away from their raw garage rock beginnings and their popular indie sound is derived from bands like U2, The Velvet Underground and the Pixies. However their songs frequently explore a whole range of other themes thanks in part to their use of keys and brass instruments, and the country and blues sounds Leithauser and Paul Maroon evoke from their guitars.
The Walkmen used the opportunity to try out some new material to be released on an upcoming album, playing one song and saying that they had only just finished writing it. Leithauser’s microphone problems had seemingly finished by the time the band was getting into Don’t Let Me Down (Come On Over Here), which was one of the night’s highlights.
The only downside was that a number of their songs all seem to swirl into the one category; constant eerie ringing guitars that build over the other instruments. All the while Leithauser’s sparse Dylanesque wailing pierces the songs’ otherwise subtle musicality.
As the set drew to a close Maroon began to strum the opening chords to The Rat, instantly recognisable as the band’s hit single from 2004. You know, the one that you would always turn up on your radio for when you were driving along. Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for. The standout tune from this band was also clearly the standout performance on the night and had all the audience in fits of appreciation. Leithauser sang those famous lines, “When I used to go out I would know everyone I saw, now I go out alone if I go out at all…” as the rest of the band executed the build up perfectly before the final explosive chorus to the song. It was a great moment and a terrific finish to the night. Except the band played one more tune before walking off stage to a huge roar and leaving an indelible imprint on everyone’s recollections of one of the highlights of this year’s festival calendar.
