Despite being a tad optimistic with the size of the venue and its capacity, the Baby Animals showed what the Australian rock scene has been devoid of for a long time now – a female rock voice that actually delivers.
Having rocked a generation two decades earlier, singer Suze DeMarchi was undoubtedly back with a vengeance. Exuding charisma from the stage and on the back of a successful return with album This Is Not The End, DeMarchi and band revelled in the vocalist’s homecoming, presenting a show with the same fervour of their formative years.
Kicking off the night was the 2011 ‘Australia’s Best Busker’ winner, Ollie Brown. Despite his clear talents, the use of an acoustic musician with no band was perhaps a strange choice for the tour considering the predominantly pub rock crowd.
Channelling a similar vibe to Jackson Browne, Brown attempted to coax the crowd off their seats, but the setting and the laid-back scene prevented any movement. It was unfortunate that only his cover of Steve Miller’s “The Joker” inspired any meaningful recognition from the audience.
Former Electric Hippies and Noiseworks member Steve Balbi was up next. He mixed an array of songs from his solo album Black Rainbow along with an interesting acoustic take on the Noiseworks classic, “Touch”. Balbi also performed an almost funk inspired rendition of the classic “Stand By Me” that evolved into something else altogether.
The crowd lapped up his set and Balbi would have no doubt garnered more sales as a result – or, at the very least, new fans from his Perth adventure.
Baby Animals sauntered onto the stage to a raucous applause. While the band had already played a show in WA earlier this year, Saturday was the first show following the release of their new album. Fans were appreciative from the start to the very last note.
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“Under Your Skin” and “Got It Bad” started proceedings for the band’s Feed The Birds tour. The mix was great for the majority of the night, with the venue offering DeMarchi the perfect acoustics for her rock-chic guise.
“Rush You” provoked some occasional headbanging from the predominantly older crowd, perhaps re-living their past or simply following DeMarchi’s every move.
The band played the majority of their new album as well as a conglomerate of hits from previous albums Baby Animals and Shaved And Dangerous.
“Invisible Dreamer” was a highlight of the night, with guitarist Dave Leslie leading off on a spellbinding solo that built to the crushing crescendo of the track.
“Painless” delivered a sing-a-long for those in attendance, with DeMarchi twirling the microphone stand and getting the audience involved at every opportunity. Her voice was strong and never wavered – quite the feat considering some of her change-ups on the new album, particularly the song “Warm Bodies”, which oozed sexiness.
“Hot Air Balloon” provoked more dancing from DeMarchi, who was clearly revelling in being able to play back in her hometown. She told the crowd that she played her first gig just up the road, and spoke fondly of her niece in the front row.
The Feed The Birds tour is aptly named, as DeMarchi’s tradition is to gulp red wine and then pass it to a member in the front row – by locking lips.
When the ‘bird feeding’ time occurred, several audience members lapped up the attention (and enjoyed Margaret River’s finest red). The trick wasn’t for everyone, but hey – the members receiving the goods seemed to enjoy it, nonetheless.
The single “Email” rocked the theatre, causing without a doubt the loudest applause of the night. This rolled nicely into their 1991 radio-friendly hit, “Early Warning”, while 99% of the crowd sang every word in unison.
The break before the clichéd encore provided a brief pause before DeMarchi and crew returned for a rollicking rendition of “One Too Many” and the sultry “Winters Day”.
Baby Animals finished with “Ain’t Gonna Get”, a rocker that had DeMarchi tossing her hair and high-fiving the audience before the mandatory, “Thanks for coming and we’ll be back soon”.
All up, it was a great evening and hopefully with word of mouth the Baby Animals will command a full house next time. DeMarchi still has the goods and the passion has undoubtedly been reignited.
Setlist
Under Your Skin
Got It Bad
Rush You
Working For The Enemy
Bonfires
Warm Bodies
Invisible Dreamer
Painless
Don’t Tell Me What To Do
Tele-Love
Stitch
One Word
Hot Air Balloon
Feed The Birds
Backbone
Early Warning
Encore
One Too Many
Winters Day
Ain’t Gonna Get
