Industry hype is a tricky mistress; for every band that rides the wave of Triple J plaudits and blogosphere chatter all the way to success, another drowns under the weight of expectations. Given this, it’s hard not to feel nervous heading to the East Brunswick Club for the headline gig of a band as hotly-tipped as Husky. Excitement has been building about this Melbourne troupe since they won the Triple J Unearthed Pushover competition earlier this year, so it’s a relief when they deliver a night of dark, lush indie-folk that well and truly lives up to expectations.
Country-turned-city boys Dirt Farmer took the stage at the gentlemanly hour of 9pm for their first gig with temporary drummer Thomas van der Vliet. The crowd is sparse at this stage, which is a shame, because the band reward early birds with a tight set of countrified rock n’ roll. It’s solid, catchy stuff, and there’s something old-school about these guys that gives you the feeling that even the swarthy gents who frequented the East in its previous incarnation as a TAB would get a kick out of them.
This was the first time in Melbourne for Sydney six-piece Tigertown, and they were greeted politely by what was, by this time, a fairly large but unfamiliar crowd. From the first note, the six family members create an immense wall of harmonies, backed by an impressive guitar and percussion sound. Tigertown certainly make no secret of their influences-their opening number was a clear nod to early Arcade Fire- but strong songwriting and a unique vocal sound ensure that they make them their own. The crowd is moving enthusiastically by the time they close the set with ‘Go Now’, and it’s clear they have earned some new fans.
Husky performed an impressively tight array of songs from their upcoming album Forever So. While the band manage to vary the set with a couple of good covers- an off-stage unplugged rendition of ‘People are Talking’ by Snooks Eaglin was met with rapturous applause- some missteps, such as a fairly drawn-out keyboard solo, see them occasionally lose the attention of the otherwise adoring crowd. But Husky’s real strength is their songwriting, and this was on clear display throughout the night, with songs like ‘History’s Door’ and ‘Hundred Dollar Suit’ playing like well-crafted stories – beginning slowly, building to a climax and then releasing. By the time the set closed with single ‘Dark Sea’, a song which showcases Husky’s ability to underscore lyrical folk with dark and urgent intensity, it’s clear that, here, the hype is justified by an excellent band.
– Annika Holden
