Teenager & Damn Arms @Spectrum, Sydney (21/04/07)

Tue 24th Apr, 2007 in Gig Reviews

Shiny disco balls hang from the ceiling. Walls are hidden in vertical stripes of bright contrasting colour. Bathrooms are lined with hand dryers that never work. People stand around awaiting bands while searching for a seat to steal. Cigarettes are smoked in secret with only mist and butts scattered on the floor left as evidence. 24 Hour Party People is played yet again. Two headliners are to take to the Spectrum stage to launch their most recent recordings, and two supports are set to assist them.

Emergency! Emergency! is a duo containing one of each gender, along with a drum machine, a guitar, a keyboard and some other things that make noises. Beats that robots would use to converse in are a favourite. Vocals are served in clusters of yells and yelps. Time has treated them well – in just a few months they have transformed from an act that creates white noise to an act that creates an interesting noise. I presume that time will treat them well again and further improvements will be noticeable and appreciated.

The Instant are a band who play typical instruments (drums, bass and guitars) but do not have a typical sound. Instrumental is constant, lyrics are minimal and silence is never. Guitars are noisy and fury-filled. Bass lines flow as smoothly as swans on lakes. The Instant’s songs are dark, repetitive and evolve progressively and effectively. Some toes tapped while others didn’t.

Damn Arms belong to the currently fashionable blend of danceable post-punk, new wave and electro: yet they stand out from the others. Songs do not seem to be played with the intent of captivating but simply to be played; yet they are captivating. Damn Arms intrigue and hypnotise for the purpose of making others dance. Songs are complex with many over-lapping melodies – yet it does not sound cluttered – it sounds good. Many people danced – heads, hips and heels were jerked and jolted. Damn Arms are a name that should be on the tips of everyone’s lips.

Teenager took to the stage but didn’t play straightaway. Pip Brown held her guitar and stood patiently. Nick Littlemore clicked his mouse and an artificial drum beat originating from his laptop filled the speakers and own its own, created a groove. Soon the call for the drummer began. Littlemore called his drummer repetitively in an abrasive cry, and finally his drummer came. That’s when Teenager really started playing. Their sound is equally as good as co-headliners Damn Arms, yet it seems slightly less appreciated – the room had slimmed. Teenager is a crime – a dirty fix – a blend of dark sultry sounds with a constant groove eminent – it’s infectious and appealing. Moving pictures behind Teenager displayed bottles and stick figures dancing to all tunes including Pony, Liquid Cement and Alone Again. Their sound was flawless; their mood sultry, slightly surly and a tad detached. I was expecting some more enthusiasm and involvement from Teenager; but regardless, their tunes were enough to make the show good.

As everything was packed up, people dispersed amongst the night which so far had treated them well, but not grandly so.