Operator Please, Faith inPlastics @ Norfolk HotelBasement, Fremantle(31/5/2007)

Sat 2nd Jun, 2007 in Gig Reviews

Having played the night before at Mt Lawley’s Velvet Lounge, Gold Coast five-piece Operator Please lined up for the second WA show of their first national tour.

First to hit the stage were Perth’s own Faith in Plastics, who delivered a strong set of pop songs, and didn’t lack any enthusiasm given that the room they played to was all but empty for the entirety of their set. But as Operator Please started setting up their equipment, the people flocked to the stage to get the best position.

Having recently arrived back from London where they signed to UK label Brille Records, the young band could’ve been excused their exhaustion had they shown any, but with a yelled – œ1,2,3,4!’ from lead singer Amandah, they launched head first into their set.

It wasn’t until the third song that the band finally stopped for a breath, with Amandah introducing Cringe, which was then followed by EP track Two for My Seconds, a cute ditty which allowed the keyboard a starring role. Up until this point, keyboardist Sarah had been dancing madly behind the keys, and seemed almost dismayed as she was called upon to play in this down-tempo number. The next song more than restored the energy in the crowd, this time in the form of second single Crash Tragic, a crazy rocking number that had the entire crowd moving. Deservedly released as a single, the tracks highlight includes its use of violin. Violinist Taylor, being classically trained surely knows how to use her instrument and while you could be forgiven for being sceptical at first, it translates and adds to the unusual rock formation of their band.

Amandah interacted a great deal with the audience within the set, thanking those who’d caught them in Mt Lawley and encouraging everyone to dance. They could have youth to account for their seemingly boundless supply of energy as they charged through the setlist, but if there was to be a slow number, ambiguously titled Other Song was the closest we were going to get. Once again, however, the band picked up the pace immediately afterward, this time with new single Just a Song About Ping Pong – and we can guess what that one is about.

Finally, the band thanked the audience and wrapped up their set with their first single Get What You Want, with an introduction from the rhythm section, firstly Jordan on bass, and Tim joining with the drums. A strong track, with an intricate bassline, it was a good way to end an impressive show.

Having only released one EP so far, their gig shows the amount of work they’ve put into their music, given they could play a original 13-track set with each track being as strong as the next, however, due to the short nature of the tracks, the set lasted just about 40 minutes. However this seemed to be a time enjoyed by all judging by the sales of EPs and miles as the punters walked out the door.