There’s no other way of writing this without resorting to cliché so let’s roll with it; The Rubens are Australia’s most promising act. Aside from slotting in the J’s Hottest 100 and selling out the Northcote Social Club four times over, the band has also been working with David Khane (Paul McCartney, The Strokes) for their debut LP. Seemingly the only thing they have left to prove is their chops in a live environment. Last night they ticked that box emphatically.
Prior to The Rubens’ appearance, Sydney locals the Sures provided able support, channeling a sound that characterised the late 90’s rock scene (think a lo-fi Jebediah mixed with the defunct Red Riders). Although the set was received well, their performance was weakened due to the angst between members Jonas Nicholls and Matt Hogan. Whether playful banter or otherwise, it created an awkwardness that didn’t bode well with the building crowd.
For a group that has been together barely two years, The Rubens perform with the effortlessness of a band who have triple the experience. Sam Margin is a superb frontman, the type of guy you could watch in awe but still share a beer with after the show. The rest of the band – including his two brothers Zaac and Elliot – are similarly talented and devoid of pretentiousness.
The set starts off powerfully, beginning with two soulful numbers and ‘My Gun’, a track that wouldn’t have looked out of place as an Amy Winehouse b-side (no, seriously). ‘Be Gone’, ‘I Surely Die’ and ‘Patti’ follow afterwards. Although relatively unknown to the crowd, these are tracks that don’t need to be heard twice to comprehend their quality.
The boys mark the middle of the set with a tune that, according to Margin (Sam), they nutted out earlier that day. Complete with rolling piano and almost disco rhythm, it garners a reception on par with everything else they play. If they can come up with a track as fine as this on a lazy afternoon, one can only imagine how good a full length album will be. It leads into ‘Lay It Down’, a crowd favourite punctuated with a heavier grunt than its recorded counterpart.
The only downside? The set was short, lasting just over 40 minutes. Given that the band had just flown back from New York after recording their album, a few more new tracks would’ve been welcome.
Nonetheless, it takes a special type of band to sell out the Northcote Social Club four times on the back of two or three songs. Prior to The Rubens, the last band to achieve such a feat was Foster The People. Since then Foster The People have gone on to achieve world domination. To think The Rubens will attain similar success is not too far a stretch.
– Paul Bonadio
