Low-hype group Mt Warning opened for The Rubens on the Brisbane leg of their Never Be The Same tour. Featuring Mikey Bee, Aleesha Gibbs, Grant Gerathy, Liam Flanagan, and Garrett Kato, the soft, indie-pop group managed to engage a growing crowd reasonably well (despite the majority appearing unfamiliar with their music).
Mt Warning displayed great confidence and Bee made a charming frontman, although his lyrics were occasionally lost in the mix due to a slightly inaudible vocal style.
“Forward Miles” showcased an effective partnering of Bee with Gibbs’ backing vocals, suggesting that good things can be expected of Mt Warning – especially given their steady and catchy songs.
Main support act Oh Mercy kicked off with “Lay Everything On Me”, a track from their 2009 album Privileged Woes. It ensured the crowd’s attention and indicated that a hugely fun set was to come.
The title track off last year’s album came next; “Deep Heat” had a solid build with its retro drumming intro, and a quirky, groovy vibe that was echoed in frontman Alexander Gow’s onstage personality.
More tracks from Deep Heat followed, including “My Man” and “Fever”, which highlighted Eliza Lam’s smooth bass-work and again showcased Gow’s charismatic stage presence.
Showing a huge evolution in style over their (nearly) six-year discography, Oh Mercy were effortlessly cool for the duration of their set, both in appearance and in sound. Gow is a natural-born performer and interacted freely with band members Simon Okely, Rohan Sforcina and Lam.
Proving themselves masterful at transcending genre, the oh-so reggae “Still Making Me Pay” was a hit. Lam’s bass was essential in keeping the track classy, and Gow’s signature howls and atmospheric embellishments were greatly enjoyable.
Predictably – following months of steady radio play for the track – “Drums” was their closing number. Okely was a standout, riffing and clearly enjoying himself, making the track a high-energy, groovy conclusion to the set.
Taking to the stage (after nearly 40 minutes) to deafening applause, The Rubens opened with “The Day You Went Away”. A wise choice as an opener, it gave the crowd ample opportunity to sing along in the bridge.
The five-piece, consisting of small-town brothers Sam, Zaac and Elliott Margin – joined by long-time friend Scott Baldwin on drums and Will Zeglis on bass – seemed so at ease on stage that it’s incredible they’ve been a band for less than three years.
Moving on to a ballad, frontman Sam seemed genuinely engaged with the lyrics of “Elvis”. This was followed by a cover of Cody Chestnutt’s “The Seed”, a track the group recently unveiled at Triple J’s One Night Stand. Despite removing the rap element of the song, it didn’t suffer and made for a light-hearted, quality cover.
The lighting at The Tivoli was visually stunning and ranged from distinct beams of light to husky glows, a soft orange haze enveloping the stage for moody number “Paddy”. Scott pulled the track (and the group) together from an elevated drum-kit where he showed off some impressive skills, particularly towards the conclusion of the song.
Sam demonstrated a suave confidence on stage, seeming natural and genuine in his engagement with the rowdy, mostly younger, audience. His vocal clarity was excellent, talent shining through without ever needing to strain or overdo it on riffs and quavers.
Soon The Tivoli was treated to a potentially big new track named “Cut Me Loose”. Opening with keys and featuring an impressive solo from lead guitarist Zaac, the song provided a welcome shift with Sam getting a little grittier.
The punters were clearly eager to hear the vintage rock stylings of “Don’t Ever Want To Be Found”, clapping along from the outset to a slightly up-tempo version of the popular track. Scott was again notably strong, the song arguably the standout of The Rubens’ set.
Leaving the crowd completely hyped as they left the stage, applause and chants of “One more song!” came from both levels of The Tivoli until the five returned to encore with “Never Be The Same”.
Sam shifted to keys for the song, leading into a building instrumental surge that perfectly suited the light-hearted and uplifting mood created by the immensely relatable band.
Naturally, the last track played was “My Gun”. It’s no surprise that it’s the track most responsible for The Rubens’ rapid rise, given that the song was clearly made for Sam’s vocals, (which were nearly drowned out by the crowd’s enthusiastic contribution).
By this stage the boys were fully loosened up, the song (and set) ending in an impressive amalgamation of instruments and a well-deserved ovation from everyone in the house.
