For their very first Australian tour, California-based quartet, Warpaint, are a hard act to catch. Tonight’s show at The Northcote Social Club is sold out. As is tomorrow night. As was Melbourne’s St Jerome’s Laneway Festival a few days ago!
Tonight the band open with ‘Bees’, a track off their 2010 debut album entitled The Fool. Bass fuzz rumbles out the door I’m not quite in yet. By the second song I’m in and floating around in the melting pot of sound that is the self-titled track, ‘Warpaint’. Bass player Jenny Lee Lindberg grooves centre stage while Theresa Wayman and Emily Kokal harmonise and interchange solos and chorus riffs on guitar. Stella Mozgawa, the band’s most recent addition, swiftly progresses through a selection of fast changing beats. Arguably, the band have met their match in Mozgawa.
The crowd are really standing their ground tonight and it’s a struggle to move an inch, everyone is so absorbed. The band finish their third song, the first track off their 2009 E.P, ‘Exquisite Corpse’, ‘Stars’ and a few telling smiles are shared. Wayman seizes the moment to say hi and work the crowd a little, ‘Let’s up the energy in the room!’
Inviting the audience to ‘dance like you’ve never danced before’, Warpaint launch into ‘Composure’. The song begins with a chant from Wayman, Lindberg and Kokal that builds up to the first breakdown. Mozgawa lets loose on drums, driving the changes into each new part.
There’s a smooth flow into ‘Undertow’ and the audience start to share a little more energy. Then unexpectedly Mozgawa and Wayman swap instruments. They take their time and then break into their album opener ‘Set Your Arms Down’. They draw the song out with a five-minute jam of weaving guitar parts. Mozgawa appears to be right at home on guitar, Lindberg a little less so on drums but when they move into ‘Krimson’, Lindberg really turns it on. Drums and bass synchronise and together form a fast, powerful dance beat. The band groove together as Kokal sings steadily ‘I need a little room to sway…’
Mozgawa and Wayman swap back and we finally get to hear Mozgawa’s Australian accent as she counts the band in for the next song, ‘Majesty’. Warpaint slowly and delicately construct the song as if creating the masterpiece of their set. Wayman sings with a certain conviction as her voice tempestuously titters on the verge of falling out of key.
The racing riff that is ‘Elephants’ sweeps the audience off their feet and Mozgawa and Lindberg propel the room into another universe. The impact of the drums and bass is comparably unfelt in the recording of this song. Towards the end of the song Lindberg places her bass down for the first time and smiles to the audience. Wayman, Kokal and Mozgawa repeat the riff again before a tight finish. Warpaint exit the stage, no one else moves to leave.
Wayman and Kokal casually reappear, closely followed by Mozgawa and Lindberg with beers in hand. When the audience is settled again Warpaint begin to play ‘Beetles’ another song off their E.P. Staring out into the room Wayman eloquently delivers the verse, ‘I am not prepared, I just gotta gotta get there, where am I, why can’t I just get it together? Fuck it, where’s my shit? Oh my God I’m mad at it…’
For the next fifteen minutes the room pulses with climatic changes. Kokal and Wayman autonomously drop to their knees experimenting with their pedals as Lindberg turns to face Mozgawa for some energy feeling out the end of the set.
Warpaint have made their mark on Melbourne. Each musician is equally creates an impression in this mix and that’s something quite rare. Both the Exquisite Corpse E.P and ‘The Fool’ Album are superbly crafted artistic endeavors, well worth a wander, down to the record store.
– Joan Bone Photo credit – Lucille Richardson
