Regular John aptly returned to the Annandale Hotel, where they’d made their comeback a few months ago supporting The Mess Hall, to cap off their latest tour for album Strange Flowers.
Punters who got in early to catch Glitter Canyons were greeted with a curious set-up that included a crepe paper curtain, a bubble machine, and an assortment of rubber balls. The Redfern based quartet made a late entrance marked by frontman Chris Penney’s ear splitting screams, which caused the initially sparse crowd to back away from the stage or dive for their earplugs.
Highly energetic and, for the most part, extremely amusing, Glitter Canyons oozed outrageous personality, Penney stole most of the limelight, throwing things, dancing on the bar, and for the grand finale – smashing the bubble machine to kingdom come with a tomahawk.
Once the crowd had stopped reeling, they settled in for a more laid back set from locals Songs, who have recently gone through some lineup changes, losing two members and gaining three. Fronted by singer Max Doyle and bassist Ela Stiles, the group brought their interpretation of beautifully melodic pop rock, opening with a slow jam before launching into “Malabar”.
Doyle’s ability to craft eloquently worded songs shines through on the impossibly catchy “Country” and edgier “Oh No”. The sweet, resonating quality of Ela Stiles’ voice combined with Doyle’s lower tones made for some lovely harmonies, whilet guitarist Cameron Emerson–Elliot (of Youth Group) added colour with his skilful playing. Unfortunately, there were some sound issues during the performance, but the band persevered, completing an entrancing set.
By now the crowd had swelled to fill the room, a testament to Regular John’s dedicated following. The stage itself paid homage to the experimental nature of the band, with an assortment of organs, synths, and pedals while the band looked relaxed and confident when they make their appearance, punctuated by cheers from the crowd.
Wasting no time, they confidently launched into an echoing, ambient introduction to the night.
The set contained mainly tracks off the new album Strange Flowers and whilst there had been some initial anxiety about how the recorded material would translate into a live format, they needn’t have worried. Layers and textures presented themselves, coming across fluid and crystal clear, gelling together to produce a seamless performance.
Frontman Ryan Adamson is enthralling to watch, wearing each emotion in his soaring sultry voice. There were some real gems including ‘Letters In Braille’, an atmospheric tune full of twinkling effects, tribal beats, and interesting sonic shifts. ‘Strange Flower’ a jagged, punchy tangle of distortion and ‘Sky Burial’ a combination of echoing harmonies, reverberating psychedelic effects, and sensual bass lines delivered smoothly by Caleb Goman.
Miles Devine moved deftly between guitar and piano, jumping about the stage while pulling off some brilliant fretwork. Drummer Ryan McDonald delivered rib shaking beats with great gusto. First release, the melancholy-laced “Slume” got a spin, as well as previous releases “Fractals” and “Breathe Out”.
The audience seemed to nod along appreciatively with the music, some making smart remarks in response to Adamson and Goman’s witty banter. There was only a slight hiccup as Adamson stopped to retune his guitar, but rather than deter the crowd it gave them an opportunity to jest with the band.
Regular John have shown how much they’ve evolved of late, those who were looking forward to a taste of Strange Flowers got much more than they expected. Sharing the experience of this last show in a room full of not only fans but good friends of the band made it a truly worthwhile endeavour, one which surely will not be the last.
