Touring nationally to promote their debut album Sleep In The Water, Melbourne indie-popsters Snakadaktal took to the stage at The Hi-Fi Bar in Brisbane and treated the crowd to their sonic dreamscapes, from past to present. It would have been a perfect gig outdoors in the balmy air, chilled out on a luscious green lawn under a starry sky.
But there’s not a single seat at The Hi-Fi, so the crowd stood solid throughout the set. There was plenty of head-nodding, and occasional movement of other limbs to some of the more up-tempo numbers like the poppy Isolate and the more urgent rhythms of ‘Feel The Ocean Hold Me Under’, both tracks from the new album.
With most of the five band members still in their teens, Snakadaktal have refined their sound since winning Triple J’s Unearthed High competition in 2011. Even then, their debut track ‘Chimera’ had a distinct sophistication beyond their average age of 16 years.
There’s a noticeable strengthening and purity in Pheobe Cockburn’s ethereal vocals, which held their own on the mesmerising ‘Ghost’. Sean Heathcliff’s voice has also matured, showing some fine bluesy grit on the short but intriguing solo guitar and vocal track he played, The Sun I.
‘The Sun II ‘was one of several tracks highlighting Barna Nemeth’s brilliance on the drums. This guy is a real stand-out, with a talent beyond his years.
Their set covered most of the tracks from Sleep In The Water and they opened with the album’s first single, ‘Hung On Tight’. Next up was the better-known ‘Air’, which made it to number 22 on Triple J’s Hottest 100 in 2011. Pretty much the whole crowd showed the love, singing it word-for-word.
Great lighting design and plenty of atmos from the smoke machine suited the watery theme and dreamy soundscapes throughout Snakadaktal’s performance. Although Cockburn and Heathcliff both addressed the audience between songs, there seemed a lack of connection with the crowd while they played.
Interaction between the band members was minimal too, with the exception of Heathcliff and bassist Jarrah McCarty-Smith rocking out together on a few tracks later in the set. While their performance didn’t lack a cohesive sound – quite the opposite, it was extremely well rehearsed and totally tight – it left a visual impression of introspection. Maybe in time they’ll relax a little more.
But kudos to the whole band for their professionalism as the crowd chatted noisily during quieter songs like Union, which had a hint of Cocteau Twins ambience about it. Maybe there could have been a hint of sarcasm when Cockburn had earlier thanked the crowd for being “such good listeners.” But sarcasm doesn’t seem like her style.
Cockburn seems to effortlessly ooze a natural sensuality, even with her somewhat insular stage presence. Maybe her lack of connection with the audience is a conscious distancing from the overtly gawping eyes of the barely post-pubescent blokes thronged directly below the stage. They were totally transfixed.
The rest of the crowd showed some well-earned appreciation for Snakdaktal’s first single ‘Chimera’ and last year’s ‘Dance Bear’ – both of which received high rotation on Triple J and a few other indie stations.
You’d think they would have saved their most popular tracks for encore, but it was kind of cool that they stayed on stage until the end without demanding rapturous applause for a return.
For their second-last song, the crowd were treated to a cover of ‘Garden’ by English EDM producer Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, who, Cockburn explained, “we really really like”.
Heathcliff introduced their final track for the evening, the slow-building ‘Sleep’ from the new album. It opened quietly with lullaby-esque vocals and guitar then gradually built into a sonic rock-out, giving the crowd something epic to take home and dream about.
Snakadaktal Set List
Hung On Tight
Air
Isolate
Ghost
Feel The Ocean Hold Me Under
Too Soon
The Sun I
The Sun II
Union
Fall Underneath
Deep
Chimera
Dance Bear
Garden (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs cover)
Sleep
