The end of March can be a mildly depressing time of year in Adelaide. The annual Fringe and Adelaide Festivals are over, the culturally diverse WOMADelaide has been and gone for another year, and city dwellers have even quit grumbling about the not-so-culturally-diverse Clipsal 500.
Last Friday night however, with word that idyllic indie pop-rockers The Holidays (along with up-and-comers The Cairos and Cabin Cults) were playing at the fresh-faced Pirie & Co. Social Club, Adelaidians had plenty of reasons to postpone their yearly hibernation for at least a few more days.
First up, Adelaide duo Cabin Cults took to the stage to show off their inexplicable mixture of electronic, pop, and rock to the growing crowd.
Whilst their eclectic, synth-heavy sound was a refreshing change from the abundance of DJs and indie-rock acts spouting from Adelaide’s music scene, their static stage presence and the overpowering quality of the drums somewhat countered this initial intrigue. However, there’s no doubt that at a later timeslot Cabin Cults’ moody vibe would be better received.
After a two-year absence from Adelaide, Brisbane boys The Cairos were up next and were palpably eager to prove that the time without them was far too long for anyone to endure. Whilst the first couple of numbers were made rather uncomfortable by a noticeably intoxicated crowd member, who seemed to believe that he was the main attraction of the night, lead singer Alistair Richardson dealt with this minor concern gracefully and effectively, urging the rest of the crowd to come closer to the stage.
Having removed the source of tension between themselves and the crowd, this easygoing foursome blasted through a selection of bangers from their upcoming album Dream Of Reason and their 2011 EP Colour Like Features, enlivening the crowd with their catchy hooks, peppy rhythms, and modest yet engaged stage presences.
Old favourite ‘Shame’ had the crowd reeling and reminiscing, but it was their closing number and recent single ‘Obsession’, with its angsty, wistful energy, that proved to be the set highlight. Joined by a few members of The Holidays, this initially Beatles-esque rendition of ‘Obsession’ brought The Cairos’ polished set to an exuberant end that would be hard to follow.
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Even if they had never listened to The Holidays before, it wasn’t hard for the punters to figure out from the presence of bongos and their dreamy, technicoloured backdrop that the Sydneysiders’ set was going to be all about good times and chilled vibes – with a little bit of exotica on the side.
Opening with Real Feel pair ‘Long Now’ and ‘All Time High’, this vibrant quintet quickly made up for their three-year absence by sending the crowd into a euphoric, dreamlike state with their warm, atmospheric tunes. Whilst the premiere of these new tracks was well received, the crowd’s noticeable affection for Post Paradise tracks, such as the innocuous ‘6AM’ and the grooving ‘Moonlight Hours’, was an undeniable high point of the night.
As their set went on however, the flowing, longwinded arrangements of their new songs grew somewhat tiresome and indistinguishable from each other, leaving the crowd longing for more of those delectable Post Paradise tunes.
Thankfully, The Holidays rediscovered their early energy in time for their penultimate number ‘Morning Workout’. Showing off the rhythmic dexterity of drummer Andrew Kerridge and their touring percussionist, this eight-minute dreamwave was enthralling, propulsive, and even resulted in a pair of red, bloody hands for their percussionist. Who knew the bongos could be such a ferocious instrument?
As expected, these Sydney lads chose to finish the night with the ever-ebullient ‘Golden Sky’. Whilst this particular version didn’t reach the elated heights that many would have expected (especially considering that the “alright, alright” chorus is pretty much designed for a fantastic singalong), this happy-go-lucky hit brought The Holidays’ set, the night, and ‘Mad March’ to a blissful close.
