On a crisp, clear February night, families and fans gathered at the iconic Melbourne Zoo for a night of music under the stars. The annual Zoo Twilight series was back in full swing with long-time Australian favourites Something For Kate filling the night’s headline spot.
With picnic rugs and fold-out chairs covering every inch of grass, the subdued music lovers were well and truly settled in for the evening’s support act, The Orbweavers.
The local outfit warmed up the crowd with their ambient, melancholic tunes, with the dulcet melodies and storytelling lyrics exploring Melbourne’s local urban history.
Each song was interspersed with extended chatter about everything from greyhounds and grandmas, to recycling mobile phones and zoo initiatives. However, the quietly-spoken dialogue seemed to be lost in the open-air setting amidst the audible sounds of the resident animals.
Upping the tempo, Something For Kate burst onto the stage and injected energy into the night, opening their set with a cover of the R.E.M. classic, ‘The One I Love’.
The Melbourne three-piece, who have been a mainstay of the Australian music scene for close to 20 years, seemed genuinely chuffed to be performing in such a unique setting. “This is such a fantastic show to do,” enthused Paul Dempsey, the band’s frontman. “We’re all fans of the animal kingdom, so we just hope we’re not keeping them awake!”
The beauty of a one-off show such as this is that there is no need for the band to push a particular album or new release; it can simply be a showcase of perfectly handpicked songs. For a band like Something For Kate, who have such an impressive back catalogue of songs to draw from, it was a real treat.
The heavy drums and electric guitar of ‘Electricity’ from 1999’s Beautiful Sharks was followed by the beautifully melodic ‘Survival Expert’ from their sixth and most recent album, Leave Your Soul To Science.
Tracks from this 2012 release featured heavily, moving from the sweet melody of ‘Private Rain’ to the thumping drums of ‘Star-Crossed Citizens’ and the energetic ‘Miracle Cure’.
Dempsey’s instantly recognisable vocals charmed the crowd and his casual banter was endearing. Chatting about his delight at having the chance to visit the animals after hours and being able “get a few things off his chest” with them, the musician then dedicated the 2001 breakthrough single ‘Monsters’ to his “giraffe brothers and sisters”.
As the sun began to set and darkness blanketed the crowd, the mood was set for a beautifully stripped-back version of ‘Deep Sea Divers’. Standing solo with only an acoustic guitar, the towering frontman poured his heart out to an appreciative crowd with this achingly beautiful tune.
The alternative rock band – who are the masters of creating light and shade, building up momentum before pulling it back – finished with the 1997 favourite ‘Captain (Million Miles An Hour)’.
Returning for a short encore, the 16-time ARIA nominated band, who openly support animal rights organisations PETA and Oscar’s Law, again gushed about the “amazing surroundings”.
Encouraging punters to their feet with their cover of the Calvin Harris and Florence Welch song ‘Sweet Nothing’, the veterans then rewound the clock to 2003, finishing with ‘Déjà Vu’.
Delighting creatures great and small, the band promised to return with a series of shows in July. Perhaps there won’t be any animals in the next audience, but for those who can attend, it will be clear that these three talented musicians are showing no signs of slowing down.
