While Alhambra Lounge’s cavernous space was only marginally occupied for the earlier part of the evening, local lad Emerson Snowe delivered a stellar opening set as a last minute ring-in, filling the gap originally booked by Palindromes.
Showing a musicality well beyond his mere 18 years and a unique style, Snowe (real name Jarrod Mahon) rewarded the early punters with his thoroughly unique combination of dream-like vocals, trance beats, and atmospheric guitar.
With a cohesive and faultless set, Snowe charmed the audience with his awkward yet endearing stage presence, leading into an undeniable confidence in his performance. Snowe’s EP is set for release late February, and is bound to be promising if his set was an indication of things to come.
Following Snowe’s “electric-folk” vibe Marcus Whale and Travis Cook, as alt-pop group Collarbones, delivered a set that pleased their own fans, but potentially alienated those there to see headliners Clubfeet, as their styles of performance were perhaps too incongruous to be considered a holistic bill.
Regardless, Collarbones upped the energy for the evening, delivering their amalgamation of alternative beats and classic vocals with complete conviction. Whale displayed confidence and a strong voice that transcends genre, though the beats provided by Cook seemed to have less clarity live than on last year’s album Die Young.
Joined on stage by enthusiastic audience members throughout their set, Collarbones undeniably worked the crowd, their awkward dancing instilling a free-spirited mood throughout. They maintained energy during the set, finishing a lot stronger than they began before culminating in a free-for-all rave to a mix of Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools”.
When Clubfeet took to the stage with impressive beards, boxer shorts, and uninhibited dancing, they started strong and only headed uphill. Kicking things off with the textbook-groovy “Cape Town”, off this year’s album Heirs & Graces, the audience returned the love with the remains of the energy built-up by the dance-like conclusion to Collarbones’ set.
Despite Brisvegas being the midpoint of the national Heirs & Graces tour, there was no sign of the material (or the band) feeling tired and over-rehearsed. Rather, frontman Sebastian Cohen interacted with the crowd naturally and with a wholesome friendliness – there’s no preciousness to these gents, a mix of Melbournites and South African lads.
Clubfeet continued their run with a track from their 2010 album Gold on Gold, “Last Words”, highlighting their heavy but uncluttered synth textures. One of the catchiest tracks off Heirs & Graces, “Heartbreak” didn’t suffer despite Chela’s absence, the boys seamlessly covering her vocals and offering a different vibe with the all-male version of the track.
A huge highlight of Clubfeet’s set was the cover of Sam Smith and Disclosure’s “Latch”, which was an impeccable selection. With the perfect amount of their signature synth beats and elements of the original, “Latch” gave vocalist Cohen a chance to prove himself with someone else’s song, and he absolutely smashed it out of the ballpark. The crowd received the track amazingly well, with plenty of movement on and off-stage.
A standout from their first album, “D.I.E. Yuppie Scum” seemed to be a favourite among the fans in the crowd, and hasn’t dated at all despite there being an undeniable evolution in the sound between both of Clubfeet’s albums.
While the billed visuals by Melbourne AV whiz Ego didn’t end up happening, the set didn’t suffer at all, the crowd, seemingly a mix of devoted fans and pleasantly surprised Alhambra regulars, continuously responding well to their musical offerings. Everyone was just so happy.
In all, Clubfeet proved why they’re gaining such a strong following, delivering a 100% enjoyable set, which highlighted their catchy synth-work and melodies, and vibrant stage presence.
They were well suited to the indie vibe of the venue and undoubtedly enjoyed themselves as much as the audience did, arguably one of the most important aspects of being engaging performers.
