The Beautiful Girls, C.W.Stoneking @ The Tivoli,Brisbane, 29/06/2007

Tue 3rd Jul, 2007 in Gig Reviews

A ridiculously long line extending down Costin Street unfortunately prevented many punters from catching the first support act of the night, Dutch singer-songwriter Lucky Fonz III, playing songs from his forthcoming album Life Is Short. After that, the upstairs balcony provided a prime view of the apparently legendary hokum-blues artist, C.W. Stoneking. He plays in a style that channels a 1920s-era Deep South blues artist, yet he’s an Australian bloke in his mid-30s. It was hard to know what to make of his act; while the nylon-string acoustic guitar and plucked banjo were enjoyable, the stories he told were practically indecipherable through his thick accent. The crowd were just as divided: surfer boys with spiked hair and pink shirts heckled him, while the throng downstairs danced and cheered. It’s fair to assume that the majority of those in attendance would not go out of their way to listen to such a unique artist in their own time.

As the house lights dimmed, The Beautiful Girls’ singer and guitarist Mat McHugh strode onto stage and guided the band through the first half-dozen songs, while barely acknowledging the sold out crowd or cracking a smile. The set began with the subdued Generals, a cut from the recently released album, Ziggurats. Their latest and greatest hit, I Thought About You, was dropped surprisingly early into the set, and garnered a huge response. Seemingly content with nailing the first six songs, McHugh then looked up with a huge grin and greeted the appreciative audience.

The terrific lead single from 2005’s We’re Already Gone, And We’ll Dance On The Ashes Of What’s Left, was slowed down and stripped back, which allowed McHugh’s brilliant lyrics to step to the fore. Conversely, the also lengthily-named Sir, Your Fashion Has The Cold Heart Of A Killer failed to impress. It’s the weakest song among their new material, and even a funky bassline variation and delayed slide guitar interlude couldn’t save it from being the low point in the set.

While ably performing their acoustic-based material from earlier releases, the band were undoubtedly at their best when McHugh plugged in his electric guitar. Bass-heavy The Wrong Side Of Town, perhaps the heaviest song in their catalogue, was extended to include lengthy solos that demonstrated the band’s exceptional individual musicianship. Paulie B radiated enthusiasm and geniality; his gnarly dreadlocks bounced as he played impressive fingerstyle bass and provided back-up vocals throughout the set. McHugh’s ode to the beautiful Australian lifestyle, Under A Southern Sky, was met with a terrific roar from the crowd, who clearly shared his feelings toward living in our country.

The set concluded with In Love, the latest single from Ziggurats. The band soon returned to the stage and McHugh announced that it was the birthday of one of their sound guys, and if the crowd could raise a thousand dollars, he’d get the guy to strip and remain naked for the rest of the shown. He soon regretted this request, as a few hundred coins showered the stage and the band took cover behind instruments. Singalong-friendly acoustic numbers La Mar (The Ocean) and Dela followed, before the band hit high gear and concluded the set with a blazing instrumental track that was delivered with jaw-dropping intensity and precision. The defining image of the night was McHugh raising his hand and beckoning to the crowd before launching into a blistering final slide guitar solo, while his bandmates were locked into a groove tighter than skinsman Bruce Braybrooke’s snare drum. Truly, The Beautiful Girls delivered a flooring performance, and there wasn’t an unsmiling, stationary body in the house as they left the stage two hours later.