This isn’t the first time I’ve seen Dirty Beaches perform.
The first time was some years ago at a dive bar in New York City. I still remember it as one of the best live shows I’ve seen to date.
Tonight, at their only Melbourne performance at the Tote, the trio – fronted by principle songwriter Alex Zhang Hungtai – had a number of obstacles against them.
Opening act, Adelaide-based one-woman show Rites Wild did too. With a 7:40pm starting time, Stacey Wilson, who will soon be venturing overseas for a slot at this year’s SXSW, played to a room of less than 20 punters, only two of whom were actually standing to attention at the gig (the others were sprawled across the steps of the bandroom).
With a consistent setlist featuring tracks from her latest release Ways Of Being, the songstress did her best being as engaging as she possible could considering the crowd, or rather, lack there of. The young musician proved why she’s achieved slots as the opening act for some great international acts including Prince Rama and Xui Xui, it’s just a shame no one was very appreciative.
After a 40-minute intermission during which more of the crowd entered the previously sparse bandroom, the headlining act took to the stage.
Opening at the inconceivably early hour of 9pm (the first of the set’s problems) with one of their noisiest tunes, the three piece make no introduction to the audience until three songs in where Hungtai proclaims that he’s ecstatic to be in Melbourne, but apologises in advance if he “does some weird shit tonight” on account of a back injury forcing him to pop a few too many pain killers.
Cue second obstacle.
Once he makes an official proclamation of his altered state of being, the audience seems to clue in to why the frontman seems a little sloppy and well, let’s just say it, fucked.
Throughout the entire set, the other two band members seem almost embarrassed and despite Hungtai’s proclamations of gratitude, none of them seem to be pleased to be there.
This isn’t to say that the frontman doesn’t give it his all. When he’s not debilitated by his own body, he sings in his usual 50s crooner voice mixed with sporadic yelps.
The singer never once introduces his songs, and the lyrics are sporadic at best. To the disappointment of many concert-goers, the band don’t play either of their two best known hits ‘True Blue’ and ‘Lord Knows Best’.
The singer has admitted that when he writes his music, he considers its cinematic elements and uses them as the inspiration to tell the story. While this vision comes out vividly in his recorded word – which mixes velvety singing with noisy, distorted instrumentation – that vibe was lost on stage at The Tote.
One facet in which it did come out though, was in the frontman’s physicality. Despite his fucked-upness, he still jived with movements not unlike those seen by 50s rock ‘n’ roll heartthrobs.
In one particular number, Huntai holds his guitar like a shotgun, closes one eye, and proceeds to ‘shoot’ members of the audiences whenever he strums a chord.
It’s easy to blame a band when they don’t fulfill your expectations in a live setting. But when you consider the problems they were facing, be they external or otherwise, it’s hard to hold a grudge.
Here was a man who, clearly not well, decided to still perform. However disappointing the delivery was, you’ve got to give Hungtai and his Dirty Beaches bandmates the maddest of props for putting on any kind of show at all.
