Music may be a labour of love, but sometimes the ‘labour’ part can be a tad understated.
Just ask 65daysofstatic, who drew the ultimate climatic short straw by having their first ever Melbourne show coincide with a heatwave that saw pretty much every other event in town cancelled.
Yet while most of the city sweated it out on the couch in their underpants, the Sheffield-based four-piece got down and dirty, giving the elements the middle finger and producing a remarkably energetic show.
On an evening where even the beer taps were getting a night off, the band appeared right on time, a relief for those who had bravely sweltered through the support acts.
Beginning with the electronic blips, beats, and bops of “Drove Through Ghosts To Get Here”, frontman Joe Shrewsbury seemed either angry or encouraged by the heat – telling the crowd they were “optimistic” for even bothering to show up.
But as the guitars grew louder and the intensity of the performance rose – slowly but surely, Shrewsbury seemed to elicit a response from the audience that left him noticeably pleased.
It was, to the crowd’s credit, the kind of show that was just as demanding on the audience as it was for the band. After all, they were the ones who coughed up the hard-earned cash to be there – only to find themselves drenched in the sweat of strangers and peering at the stage through a cloud of humidity.
That’s why it was almost a relief to see the first few spot-fires of headbanging break out at the climax of ‘Await Rescue’ – a sight that seemed to spur the band on, despite a few equipment issues.
The shrill opening harmony of “Crash Tactics” (branded a “death waltz” by Shrewsbury) was followed by two other pounding tracks from their recent, electronica-inspired album We Were Exploding Anyway.
Performed under flashing strobes and several white hot stage lights, the album title suddenly became quite apt.
Thankfully, instead of exploding, Shrewsbury tried his hand at some Thom Yorke esque dance moves, gleefully bouncing up and down on the monitors at front of stage as if he were a drunken hooligan on a frigid Sheffield night.
Such was 65daysofstatic’s composure that they even managed to offer a new track, the quirkily titled “Type A” (Tapei), before bounding into “Retreat, Retreat” – arguably one of the most perfect live jams ever conceived.
For those who haven’t experienced it before, check out the band’s frenzied video-clip on Youtube; then imagine bringing that kind of energy to a stage that is, by this point, rivalling the surface of the sun.
65daysofstatic certainly weren’t going to die wondering.
The only sign that the conditions might have taken their toll came in the form of a shortened encore. Fan favourite ‘Tiger Girl’ was well received, but judging by the amount of people staggering to the bar to gulp down some water – self preservation mode had finally kicked in both on and off stage.
While most people would give up their desk jobs in a heartbeat for the chance to live out their rock and roll fantasy – few would envy the position 65days found themselves on Friday night.
Faced with playing to a hot-and-bothered crowd in the most energy-sapping conditions imaginable, they could have almost been forgiven for throwing in the towel, or at least putting on a performance that was a little below par.
Instead, with a bit of determination, patience, and a whole lot of humility, 65days turned a massive negative into a positive – keeping their reputation for a killer live show intact and giving their fans something to remember.
In this industry, that kind of professionalism goes a long way – and their Melbourne fans would surely be glad to welcome them back, although perhaps a winter tour might be better next time.
View the gallery of 65daysofstatic’s sweltering Corner Hotel show here.
