There’s nothing quite like getting packed into a sold out venue on a 30 degree day in Melbourne. Such was the case for the Animals As Leaders and Periphery show, as each band embarked on the last leg of their double-bill tour Down Under before heading home to Washington.
Fronted by the eight string wonders Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes, Animals As Leaders astounded the crowd straight from the beginning, with technical riffing from the duo backed by Matt Garskta impressively piling away into his drums. The fluidity of each member makes the three-piece a real spectacle to watch.
Watching Abasi transition from playing a complex riff to shoving his plectrum into his mouth and hastily fingerpicking away is equally impressive as it is disheartening for those with the slightest inclination towards playing the instrument. The crowd remained awe-stricken during these times, especially when the likes of ‘An Infinite Regression’ and ‘Weightless’ – the obvious highlight of the set – were played.
Patrons really showed their excitement when Abasi mentioned that they had just finished putting together a new album. The elation continued during the trio’s closing track of ‘CAFO’ when Misha Mansoor, the creative mastermind behind Periphery, ambushed the stage. Mansoor then proceeded to do the robot dance and act a general fool before swiftly departing, spawning the other three to crack a smile before rounding out their final performance of the tour.
Periphery landed on the stage not too long afterwards and launched into the subtle beginnings of ‘Muramasa’. Each member burst at the seams with vigour when Spencer Sotelo’s high-pitched vocals kicked in.
The group all showed an exuberant amount of energy, with Mansoor being a particular highlight. Most of the time, grinning from ear to ear, he bounded about the stage, showing affection for his band mates by kissing them on the cheek and playfully roughhousing them.
One of the most popular criticisms against the Washington sextet is that their musical proficiency is somewhat dulled by over-the-top production and gimmicky effects on record. This is why it was such an eye-opener to witness the band play without these studio layers – bar the exception of a few audio cues. The downside to this however, is that when one of the members seldom missed a beat, it became really noticeable.
Having said that, the group is very much in their element on stage, striking a balance between sounding rehearsed but not without improvisation. Such was the case when Sotelo subtly weaved the famous chorus line of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ song ‘By The Way’ into that of ‘Make Total Destroy’, which resulted in a collective laugh across the venue.
Upon request from Sotelo, Reyes made an appearance, bearing multiple champagne bottles that the members swigged from mid performance.
It was nice to see a great sense of camaraderie between multiple bands, with each member showing a mutual respect and appreciation for one another. The audience really sponged off the group’s enthusiasm, with both ‘Scarlet’ and ‘Have A Blast’ encouraging movement within the crowd. However, it was the encore of the fan-favourite ‘Icarus Lives!’ that really ushered in a second wind throughout the entire venue before the group departed for the night.
Naysayers that feel like the group sound too overproduced in the studio should really consider attending their live performance. While it still is, to an extent, overproduced, the unpredictability and improvisational aspect really rounds it out to be a wholesome show. With that said, it can be argued that Periphery are a much better live band than they’ve ever been on record.
