It’s probably safe to say that if you live in Melbourne and haven’t yet heard of Saskwatch, you’re doing it wrong.
In the past year, the nine-piece soul/funk outfit have held two Cherry Bar residencies, as well as making appearances at Meredith, Golden Plains, Falls Festival, and a steady stream of headline gigs all over the country.
Friday night heralded the single launch for “I Get Lonely”, a playful, swinging soul-pop number that proves the group’s success will last far beyond last year’s debut album, Leave It All Behind.
Saskwatch shows are generally heaving with energy, the crowd a sweaty, flailing mass of dancing bodies. But something about the atmosphere at the Prince Bandroom on this night seemed a little off.
While the band delivered a characteristically electric set, the audience (at least beyond the front few rows) paid little attention – during quieter songs it was difficult to hear the music over the audience noise.
Yet despite the slightly disconcerting vibe, the energy emanating from the stage was potent. Lead singer Nkechi Anele busted out her infectious dance moves and barely stopped for the entire set, all the while belting with a voice one hundred times her size.
Her vocal range is stunning and as she springs around in a sparkling silver dress, it’s impossible not to fall under her spell. She’s the glitter glue that holds Saskwatch together, her soaring vocals spinning both heartbreak and happiness into the powerful, gutsy soul music that feeds off pain and then makes it all better.
The four-piece brass section was impeccably in sync throughout the entire set, blasting a brilliantly loud sound from beginning to end. From the dramatic “Two Hearts” to the summery cover of Little Red’s 2009 hit “Coca Cola”, their cohesion didn’t once falter.
The instrumental version of Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue’s “Kids” marked a musical interlude that built into a noisy, brassy, splendid chaos.
As Nkechi left the stage, the boys from Money For Rope (who’d delivered their own blistering set an hour earlier) joined in on percussion and the audience hollered the song’s nonsensical lyrics, joining the cacophony and embracing the song’s metamorphosis from mediocre pop hit to funk party anthem.
Sprinkled with a few new tracks that provided a promising teaser of the upcoming second album, the set hung in delicate balance between light and shade.
While delivering the sunny soul anthems that have made them one of the best-loved bands in Australia right now, they also gave ample time to the softer pieces, which sadly lost some of their power amongst a loud sea of celebratory Friday night chit chat.
The coolest thing about Saskwatch is that they’re a fun band – a get up and dance band – but none of their musical prowess is sacrificed to keep that energy on the rise.
A moment during “Second Best” finally got the audience riled up, as the entire band froze on stage for a minute or more, holding their tableau as the cheering rolled before snapping back into the music, perfectly in time.
To hear that mind-bogglingly tight soul sound coming from a bunch of kids flouncing around on a stage that always seems far too small for the nine of them – well, it’s mind-boggling.
Luckily it seems like Australia (and the rest of the world) have been quick to get their heads around it.
