The Cops, Sparkadia & Wind AndBrackets @ The Zoo - 22/06/07

Tue 26th Jun, 2007 in Gig Reviews

Opening the night’s proceedings on what was another chilly Brisbane evening, local five-piece Wind And Brackets offered the crowd a tight performance from start to finish. Smattering the first half of their set with fan favourites Taking More, Hospitality and That Tight Was Bloody, the boys used the last half to display a few new, promising songs. Of particular note is Nu Nu Za Za, which carries a similar dancey vibe as their other tracks. Overall, the local lads delivered a professional set that is sure to help cement them as one of Brisbane’s best acts at the moment.

As Sparkadia took to the stage, there were positive comments amongst the crowd about one particular piece of clothing being worn by one of the band’s members. Why not look fashionable while performing, I say. Either way, the crowd ended up being more enticed by the band’s general performance than by any item of apparel. The Sydney-siders weave beautifully-crafted melodies into atmospheric soundscapes, with lead singer Alex’s harmonies topping off an all-round perfect style of dreamy guitar pop. Think The Smiths meets Mercury Rev. Almost. Well, you be the judge. No matter which way you look at it, this band is one of Australia’s finest. By the set’s end, they had the crowd in the palm of their collective hand, and no doubt converted many of the audience into fans judging by the reactions of many within the swollen mass of punters that had packed into the venue and compacted together in front of the stage.

After the final break, the headliners hit the stage to a massive cheer, before greeting the boisterous crowd. With a mass of arms flailing in front of them, and their amps turned up to the max, The Cops proceeded to supply their fans with a serve of straight up pop-rock. Despite playing Brisbane only a matter of weeks ago as part of Triple J’s Home And Hosed Live performance, the crowd had turned up in droves to go crazy to the Sydney-based group’s eclectic style of rock. Promoting the new album Drop It In Their Laps, the band performed new songs for the majority of their set, but dropped in a few gems from their previous Stomp On Tripwires debut, including a rambunctious performance of Wallet/Puffer/Smokes/Keys.

Over a set which seemed to go on forever (not a bad thing), new album standouts Out Of The Fridge/Into The Fire, The Message and Turn Up The Radio all kept the crowd in a sweat until obvious favourite Call Me Anytime was blasted out after a extended full-crowd handclapping intro. Playing into the morning, The Cops satisfied all involved, presenting the crowd with a fairy light-enhanced rock show, while managing to not have one bit of the stage or equipment destroyed in what was a fast-paced, raucous set, and in addition to wishing one of the crowd members a happy birthday with their rendition of the, believe it or not, Happy Birthday. This is one bunch of cops you shouldn’t run from.