Passion Pit brought their bouncy pop tunes to Melbourne’s The Palace for a rather standard yet hit-laden mid-week show.
Ably supported by Sydney’s experimental trio; PVT in a set that lasted just about as long as the headliners themselves. The eclectic outfit played to a fuller than normal crowd for a Tuesday night gig, as they came on at 8:30 and Passion Pit didn’t grace the stage until around 10:20.
After PVT’s set, the excitement built on the back of all the amazing reviews surfacing from the many talented acts at Splendour In The Grass. One consistent among reviews and word-of-mouth from those who had attend post-Splendour gigs was that many bands probably partied a little too hard with vocals being the main victim.
The only thing question was, would Passion Pit be able to shake off all the partying and deliver a near flawless gig, or would the yelling and screaming at the three-day festival take a toll on frontman Michael Angelakos’ voice? Unfortunately it was the latter.
Passion Pit looked lethargic and tired for the most of their set, and it translated onto the audience, who despite yelling and screaming on occasions would stay silent after some album tracks finished prompting frontman Angelakos to ask us all why were so quiet.
The answer was that it was a Tuesday night gig, his own band had come on too late for a concert on such a night and weren’t really giving it their all. If they were, their recent touring had taken too much of a toll.
That being said there were still numerous highlights in their fairly brief set. These came from the expected places, their main songs were met with rapturous receptions while slower or lesser-known songs failed to hit the mark.
‘I’ll Be Alright’ and ‘It’s Not My Fault, I’m Happy’ were shinning lights of the evening and the two tracks titles also shed light on Angelakos’ mental state when the album was being written and recorded.
Halfway through 2012 the band cancelled the remainder of the year’s gigs so their singer could focus on his health. Remarkably he went from being on suicide watch whilst battling his bi-polar disorder last year to playing a triumphant return show alongside his band mates at a sold-out Madison Square Garden.
Given Angelakos’ recent troubles and the band’s hectic touring schedule, it may go some way to explaining why this gig was a little flat, and makes it somewhat forgivable.
‘Take A Walk’ the highlight from last year’s Gossamer was the highlight of the evening as the crowd’s energy raised the band’s best song up into the jewel of their set. Angelakos took advantage of how much the crowd loved the song and let them help sing the chorus to give his voice a chance to reprieve.
Songs performed from their debut effort; Manners, was nearly exclusively singles. ‘The Reeling’, the first single released from the album back in May 2009 was a pleasure to listen to from an instrumental point of view as the band showcased just what they can do. Unfortunately it also served to showcase just what Angelakos’ vocals couldn’t and his inability to switch between lower notes and hooks smoothly.
The band saved ‘Little Secrets’ until late in their set and it was unsurprisingly a clear crowd favourite. When the five-piece left the stage it wasn’t completely obvious if they’d return, save for the fact they hadn’t played fan-favourite ‘Sleepyhead’.
This final song was a great moment of the show as the band members let themselves go a little more, knowing they didn’t have to conserve energy and could finally give it their all. The song’s synth heavy tones and whimsical nature was embraced heavily by the crowd. It left the venue on a high and partly made up for the low points of the performance and left many concert-goers smiling.
In the end it was a weeknight gig that despite it’s moments didn’t quite fire, something that will happen from time to time to nearly every band. But when it’s an international act and fans don’t get ample opportunity to see them, combined with a high ticket price, it’s undeniably a shame.
