Local exponents of highbrow garage rock The Drones played the second of two gigs at Melbourne’s Hi-Fi bar on Saturday night as part of a national tour in support of their latest album I See Seaweed.
Despite countless tours and festival appearances over their decade-long career, the rock stalwarts were able to pull near capacity crowds on consecutive nights, demonstrating just how revered the hard working five-piece are.
Harmony, the support act for the night, certainly lived up to their name, bolstering a pared-back rock sound with glorious four-part vocal harmonies.
The rhythm section also performed flawlessly, allowing front man Tom Lyngcoln’s guitar and vocal melodies to soar, setting the tone for what was to be a night of rock music of the highest calibre.
The headliners entered the stage to an enthusiastic roar but quickly quieted the crowd with the first ominous notes of I See Seaweed’s titular piece. A more fitting choice could not have been made for an opening to the set, as the eight and a half minute epic encapsulates many of the elements that make this band such an incredible force.
The track roams from the dark, discordant guitar lines, deft tickles on the keyboard and mournful vocal melodies of its verses, to the brutal power of the chorus before finally descending into a screeching, pained guitar solo to finish. To witness the song performed flawlessly onstage was a treat that was not lost on the ecstatic audience, who responded to its conclusion with a barrage of applause.
As the performance continued through ‘How to See Through Fog’ and into some older material, including the crowd favourite ‘Shark Fin Blues,’ the astonishing songwriting of front man Gareth Liddiard was further celebrated, as were the many talents of his band. The years of solid touring have not only garnered this group a reputation as one the best live bands in Australia, but also given them the skills, cohesion and stage presence required to discredit anyone who would dispute such a claim.
After a short hiatus from the stage, the main act re-entered for an encore, inviting the three female members of Harmony to join them in their performance of ‘Why Write a Letter That You’ll Never Send.’
The performance of this, the heartbreaking last track from the new album, rose to a ferocious crescendo during the second verse and then fell back to leave only Liddiard’s emotive repetition of the final lyric. This again exemplified The Drones’ masterful control of dynamics as well as the co-existent beauty, intricacy and power of their live shows.
The final song of the night saw the three male Harmony members squeeze onto the already full stage to contribute to an amazing cover of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Diamonds in the Mine.’ The jovial and boisterous nature of this final offering was a timely reminder that no matter how dark and serious The Drones can get, they are above all a damn fun band to see.
