For a Thursday night, Loon Lake’s hometown show at the Corner Hotel brought out a surprisingly energetic crowd. Despite the fact that they haven’t had as many songs on the radio lately (as the band themselves pointed out), the five-piece definitely still have a fierce allegiance of fans.
Joined on the bill by Brisbane up-and-comer Jeremy Neale and local duo Private Life, the always-fabulous Richmond venue was treated to a great night of music.
The headliners arrived on stage and were promptly greeted by a rousing reception. You would never have known it was a “school night”, as frontman Sam Nolan pointed out to a clearly onside crowd.
With their 2013 debut album Gloamer fresh in the mind, the band’s setlist mainly consisted of songs from this release.
The vibe in the venue was so overwhelmingly positive, with people dancing, jumping around, and generally having a good time. This undoubtedly had a lot to do with the band’s buoyant onstage energy.
‘On Fire’ was a particular highlight and, of course, so was their most well-known song, ‘Cherry Lips’. For the performance of the latter, the band had a competition winner come on stage and sing the song with them. When these sorts of things happen, quite often the fan is too nervous to actually sing. However, the lucky lady on this occasion was very impressive and confident, so much so that the sound guy actually turned her microphone up.
Fan favourite ‘Love Gets Done’ was a focal point, mainly due to the ‘aha’ moment that seemed to be happening to people in the crowd when they finally processed the meaning of the lyrics.
‘Carolina’ is one of the best songs contained within their debut record, as it’s a track that translates to a live setting better than most. The chorus is purpose-built for a chanting sing-along, and the heavy guitars border on 90s grunge.
In general, seeing Loon Lake live is a contrasting experience to their recorded material. The vocals sound angelic, yet Nolan’s speaking voice couldn’t sound any more like a stereotypical Aussie bloke, and his banter is in line with that too. The frontman is cheeky, genuine, funny, and generally relaxed.
While the band didn’t sound as clean and tight as they have on other occasions, the energy they were giving off meant that in the scheme of putting on a great show, it didn’t matter. Old favourite from the Not Just Friends EP ‘In The Summer’ went down a treat, proving that the crowd have been loyal followers from the start.
To finish the set with a bang, the band ripped out a cracking rendition of The Darkness hit ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’, which garnered a massive “spill your beer” kind of singalong. The cover has become something of a staple at a typical Loon Lake show in recent times, and with the reception it continues to receive, it’s probably not going anywhere anytime soon.
The band put on a fun show that was informal, infectious, and as enjoyable as a hometown gig should be.
