Attention all those who moan that proper musical talent has disappeared from the airwaves: speak to someone who attended the Worker’s Club in Fitzroy on Friday 1st July (or just read this review). On show in the packed band room were three perfect ambassadors from the fresh crop that prove this to be a stale complaint. Heading the bill were much-hyped Sydney outfit Belles Will Ring, supported by the equally impressive Cuba Is Japan and The Fearless Vampire Killers.
Opening the night was Cuba is Japan, and for a band whose recorded material is primarily instrumental landscapes more likely to appear on a movie soundtrack than party playlist, these young maestros delivered a captivating live performance, with a folky-rock sound driven by a combination of violin (James Heenan) and bass, played by lead Darcy Pimblett. Simply add in some solid vocals (Pimblett again) and you have the recipe for an epic. River Song and Club Foot were just that, building up to the even-more-epic finale Conflict at Mactan. Cuba Is Japan cover a wider musical spectrum, and they may just pop up in film, on stage, or even on your radio.
Next, with a name difficult to detach from your dendrites, The Fearless Vampire Killers took the stage with all the confidence and gusto their title suggests. But while they are a publicist’s wet dream, there is definitely substance to this bands popularity, with their live energy making you feel a little deprived that you can’t just wind back time to the 60’s and jump around your garage. Beginning the set with a number of surf infused blues-rock tunes, lead singer Sean Ainsworth can’t not be compared to Craig Nicholls of The Vines fame, perhaps mixed with the blasé attitude of Sean Ryder. Songs ‘Alright Now Honey’ and ‘Loaded Gun’ were crowd favourites, with the Melbourne boys finishing with the set off with ‘Cheeky Monkey Song’. These guys are effortless crowd-pleasers; wind them up and watch them go.
The hype machine has been cranking overtime for Sydney’s Belles Will Ring of recent, and it must be working – 51 Brunswick St was the place to be on Friday night. The crowd was treated to almost the entirety of recently released album Crystal Theatre, plus a few land-markers of the Belle’s back catalogue. As expected, the set was a sonic kaleidoscope, with genres being blended, crossed, and layered. Starting out with a country rock sound, they then wandered to the psychedelic foothills, before sidestepping back in to their earlier indie sound for a moment. The mystery of ‘Do You Know What I See’ captivated listeners; the tightness of the band evident, with riffs timed to perfection. It was obvious lead vocalist Aidan Roberts was completely committed to making the crowd love their music as much as he does.
But to prove they aren’t just another bunch of indie strummers who have been holed up in the Blue Mountains listening to Tame Impala and playing around with pedals, other lead Liam Judson took to his bass with a bow, while Lauren Crew picked up the flute for the hazy ‘Trouble In Deep Water’, giving some light and shade to the night. A bright rendition of ‘Park Benches’ started that formidable toe-tap again, before Belles played a ringing version of ‘Come North With Me Baby, Wow’ with Judson now sporting a trumpet. ‘The River’ proved to be the biggest tune of the night though, as the band teased the crowd with a lengthy intro, before sailing through an indulgent version of the new single. Belles Will Ring have definitely got the musicianship down, and after emerging from time in the wilderness, Crystal Theatre has a sound that could not be more in vogue. Watch them explode.
– Dannika Bonser
