“There’s so many pretty girls in Australia” said Syd The Kid to the packed audience, her voice sweet and relaxed. The crowd cheered its appreciation and got louder as Syd’s band, The Internet, now halfway through their set finally played fan favourite track ‘Girls’.
“Girl, If they don’t know your worth, tell ‘em you’re my girl…” cooed Syd, the audience back and relaxed in her gaze.
Just over an hour before, when the room had not quite packed out yet, Melbourne four-piece Jaala played bathed in blue and pink light. Singer Cosima Jaala’s vocals are reminiscent of Gwen Stefani, that cutesy Betty Boop that grates just-so against a heavy drum.
Perfect mood music for a crowd of kids already dressed in their Laneway Festival finest; Grimes t-shirts mixed with maintained afros and mohawks. Alternative festival gear for the Internet age, where you shop online and don’t realise everyone’s buying the same thing.
The loud and soft drum from Jaala temporarily distracted girls lounging on the side stage like mermaids from their conversations, “You’re so pretty. You look like that model friend of Taylor Swift…”
An Odd Future outfit, The Internet managed to enter Australia with no VISA hiccups, unlike fellow Odd Future member Tyler, The Creator. The Internet’s visit will be a footnote on a funny tale of a country so out of touch with urban music that they only heard the vocals.
The Internet could be just as dangerous as Tyler, who knows, their neo-soul is certainly dangerously arousing, wowsers love to fear that kind of thing.
As the curtains opened on The Internet, most notable was keyboardist Jameel Bruner, who was topless. Jumping up and down as the band started, the audience echoed his energy and edged as close to the stage as they could.
Love from the audience was directed at Syd though, whose smooth mohawk gives her the appearance of a stegosaurus or other pre-biblical creature. Everything about her tells of good vibes and energy, like that chameleon who was video recorded catching bubbles.
“She has the voice of an angel,” sighed a girl in the audience, and she’s right. Syd’s vocals, like Jaala, have a clear 90s sound. Like Brandy and Monica’s earnestness on ‘The Boy Is Mine’ mixed with some Janet Jackson cool and control.
“We’re going to play some more songs in a moment, but before that I need you to do something for me” teased Syd, knowing the audience was going to do whatever she wanted. Syd directed the audience in coming in on the chorus of ‘Just Sayin/I Tried’ from last year’s Ego Death. “You fucked up!” the audience cried after every ‘”1, 2” from Syd.
Now in her full command, Syd had the audience hold up lighters and wave their hands when the mood struck her, something that will look even more impressive perhaps at Melbourne’s Laneway Festival on the weekend.
“This is our first Melbourne show!” said Syd nearing the end of the set, “I hope we can come back soon”. As the audience flooded out onto Swan Street, talk was only of who was seeing The Internet again at Laneway, and wishes expressed that the band came back for an encore.
