“A lot has happened since we’ve been gone.”
In the three years since Born Ruffians have visited Australian shores, the band has undergone a series of changes. The Canadians have released their third critically acclaimed album Birthmarks, significantly transformed their sound, recruited a fourth touring member, and gained a new drummer after Steven Hamelin left a few months ago.
But the group that returned to the Northcote Social Club were still the same energetic, fun-loving, and charming Canadians that their strong following in Australia have come to expect.
Brother-sister duo Voltaire Twins, the only support act on the night, provided synth-heavy, dancey songs awash with electronic elements. The pair, joined by a prominent drummer, constantly switched instruments and created interesting harmonies.
There are a lot of bands making music like this nowadays, and although much of the material is slightly generic, the Perth two-piece performed with enough energy and enthusiasm to easily draw in much of the already bustling crowd.
Australian fans were made to wait a long time for the return of Born Ruffians. So, when the four-piece finally strode on stage almost 20 minutes after their scheduled time, they were quickly forgiven for being fashionably late through roars of approval.
The sizable crowd proved to be overwhelmingly loud and enthusiastic for the entirety of the show. Considering it was a Monday night (and also New Year’s Eve Eve), the packed, animated room was an impressive sight, with the crowd delivering enough energy for the band to play off.
A wall of distorted sound was only broken by Luke Lalonde’s screamed count-in to the unmistakable guitar opening of fan favourite ‘Kurt Vonnegut’, which also saw the first of many shouted singalongs.
The band acknowledged their long absence from the country by simply saying, “This is our first time here in [over] two years, so thanks so much for coming out.” The first song from Birthmarks soon followed, delivering the first of many infectious choruses.
Born Ruffians’ youthful enthusiasiam comes from their obvious glee to just be performing. Bassist Mitch Derosier was particularly striking to watch on stage, constantly bounding from front to back with his mop of hair flying around, seemingly with a mind of its own.
Much of the set was taken from the band’s record Red, Yellow & Blue and their latest release, with only two songs, ‘What To Say’ and ‘Retard Canard’, lifted from their 2010 record, Say It. These two songs in particular benefitted greatly from the extra member and heavier sound.
The new styles featured on Birthmarks added diversity and complexity to the set. ‘Permanent Hesitation’ displayed a completely new, soulful, and electronic side to the band, while ‘Rage Flows’ saw the first use of samples and perhaps the most explosive chorus of the night.
Although the crowd were commendably raucous for the entire show, they really came alive with the double-hit from the Toronto-based band’s early release. Taken from Red, Yellow & Blue, the breakthrough single ‘Hummingbird’ and ‘I Need A Life’ sent them into joyful overload. The latter was eventually stripped back to just the crowd’s howled vocals, and was by far the biggest number of the night.
Derosier adopted frontman duties for much of the night, conducting most of the mid-song banter and interacting amusingly with his fans, while Lalonde came into his own when playing, captivatingly singing and playing guitar. New touring member Andy Lloyd added new and interesting elements to every tune, shifting from guitar to an array of keyboards usually mid-song.
After ‘Needle’ closed the main set, the band quickly returned for a Born Ruffians staple, ‘Foxes Mate For Life’. The band stayed around for some time after the set, shaking hands and giving out various picks and setlists – a testament to the mutual admiration and adoration between the band and the city.
Born Ruffians’ return to Melbourne, and Australia, saw a more refined and polished band, but one thing that still remains is their youthful charm and constant energy. Judging by the lovable Canadians and the crowds’ reaction, it won’t be another two years between visits.
Setlist
Kurt Vonnegut
6-5000
Ocean’s Deep
Badonkadonkey
Permanent Hesitation
Too Soaked To Break
What To Say
Rage Flows
With Her Shadow
Retard Canard
Hummingbird
I Need A Life
Needle
Foxes Mate For Life
