RTRFM celebrated their 45th year on air by having two local Perth bands perform a classic Western Australia album.
There’s all kinds of classical music. There’s the obvious stuff like Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and the like, then there’s the consideration of what may be regarded as ‘contemporary classical’ music.
It’s not so much about the utilisation of strings or woodwind, but the notion that key pieces of music gather gravitas over the years and come to mean something to living, breathing culture. The Beatles, for instance. You’ve probably heard of them.
In Perth music history there are giants that have walked among us, and it’s very fitting that beloved community radio station RTRFM – celebrating its 45th birthday, no less – curated Mixtape, a live event tipping its hat to Perth artist album releases that have become the stuff of legend, siding with the Perth Festival’s commitment to reflecting on the culture that has formed us.
On this occasion it was The Scientists’ Weird Love (1986) performed by the Dan Howls Band and The Triffids’ Born Sandy Devotional (1986), summoned and evoked by Noah Dillon.
Prior to each album set an emerging Perth artist played some select WA vershuns. Boox Kid impressed with a soaring voice that offered sweet regards to the likes of The Eurogliders’ ‘Heaven (Must Be There)’ and Empire Of The Sun’s ‘Walking on a Dream’. It was a gentle sway to open and a heartfelt gift to share.
Highly admired emerging singer/songwriter/keyboardist Julia Wallace was accompanied on this occasion by guitarist/vocalist Hannah Coakley (Smol Fish) through a contemplative set that stopped by Tame Impala’s ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’, The Sleepy Jackson’s ‘Come To This’, Bob Evans’ ‘Don’t You Think It’s Time?’ and ‘It’s So Pretty Out Here’ by Jack Davies. These gentler evocations and wonderful harmonies, brought, as they say, new light through old windows.
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The Dan Howls Band had initially been tasked with The Scientists’ iconic self-titled ‘pink album’ of 1981, but the titular bandleader made a case for the more bluesy climes of Weird Love and it fit like a glove, or like, a really good-fitting shoe. The shoe fit too, although the footwear didn’t belong to Howls, and that made for the tasty treat. Howls possesses a growl for the ages, but it ain’t that of Kim Salmon’s, yet that’s kinda the whole point.
Scientist/Surrealist/Beast Of Bourbon/Antenna-man Kim Salmon was in attendance, sadly back home due to the passing of his mother, Joy, to whom Howls dedicated the set.
And boy, did it undulate – the album’s triple threat opening of ‘Swampland’, ‘Hell Beach’ and ‘Demolition Derby’ re-concocted in languid, edgy motions that summoned the spirit if not the era. ‘Murderess” walking guitar riff was punctuated by some tough saxophone that later echoed in ‘We Had Love’.
Guitarist Julia Weller in sunglasses looked initially nonchalant but her fervour for the music soon shone through, especially when she took over lead vocals for ‘Lead Foot’, with an inspired punk rock performance.
By ‘Atom Bomb Baby’ this band were wearing the songs like a second skin and/or a badge of honour, but the honour was all theirs when Salmon himself joined them onstage for a rave-up culminating in a hoarsely spirited take on Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘Spoonful’. Howls was caked in sweat yet beaming. Salmon, in a rollercoaster week of emotions, figuratively raised his glass.
“I know I asked the band, ‘what is this weird shit you’re playing? Sounds like jazz!’… but actually, it did sound like jazz to me,” he told Tone Deaf following the show.
“I think it was because there was all this messed up nuance, especially to do with the rhythm and timing in that material. Because the Scientists could play it in our sleep and be messed up, it was always loose as shit and sounded like rock’n’roll. But to be able to do this gig properly Dan and his band had to pull it all apart and put it back together.
“And guess what? They did a brilliant job. But the thing is, it was brand new to them and they were still concentrating on getting it all right. They weren’t able to hide the jazz in the music, so they embraced it. Respect to them! It was a blast to hear that music in that quite new way.”
To close the evening, Noah Dillon and his band took to the stage to cover one of WA’s most iconic (and yes, sacred) albums, The Triffids’ Born Sandy Devotional. Stating that he grew up on this music, Dillon soon led the band through ‘The Seabirds’ – his voice cutting through the summer night beautifully and the guitar riff sailing quite magnificently. By end of song you knew everything was in its right place, especially the heart.
While ‘Chicken Killer’ (‘the only one I don’t know what the fuck it’s about’) stayed true to its driving sense of fun and cheek, the likes of ‘Estuary Bed’ and ‘Taralup Bridge’ (featuring violinist/keys player Clancy Davidson on Jill Birt’s lead vocals) served as a reminder of how alive and fresh this music was and ever will ever be.
Soon came ‘Wide Open Road’, a song so iconic that it now has a mythical quality about it. Dillon’s voice is not like that of David McComb’s, nor did he try and emulate it as one might on a song so recognisable. He especially opened up near the end as we all shared in something very special, some lovingly delivered six-string interplay with guitarist Sam Rocco being the icing on the outro cake.
And it continued. ‘Life Of Crime’ (a song of regret with a feeling of instrumental defiance) and ‘Stolen Property’ (greeted at song’s end with an emphatic ‘do it again!’) culminated in Davidson again taking lead vocals on album closer, ‘Tender Is The Night’.
And tender it indeed was. ‘I hope it was… nice,’ Dillon stated humbly by way of farewell on this night that was more testimony than tribute and certainly no trick of the light.
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