New Young Pony Club @ Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney (06/08/08)
For all my anticipation for the New Young Pony Club gig, wandering into the Oxford Arts Factory last week I had no idea that the opening five-piece would be setting the standard for the evening. From the moment Young Lovers took to the stage, with rocking instrumentals and catchy riffs, it was obvious this wouldn’t be the last we heard from the college rock sounding band. Their energy may have been drawn from the privilege of playing in front of the glittery NYPC backdrop, but whatever it was, it’s refreshing to see a band who enjoy their music as much as their fans. The eccentric quirks of the group (lack of footwear and shirts, for one) coupled with the voice of Luke Carlson, differentiate the Young Lovers from every other nu-rave indie rock band hailing from Melbourne.
The quality of the performance peaked with a cover of INXS’s Just Keeping Walking where vocalist Luke gave a nod to their current state of obscurity, telling the audience, “This is one you should know, because it’s not ours”. But the best surprise was the final track off their EP, when the tiny little bassist Rachael threw an impressive voice into the mix that defied her diminutive size. Judging the Young Lovers on performance alone, this unsigned act has all the potential to be encouraging majors to fall over themselves to sign them up.
This review may be a little obsessed with the opening act, but the top of the billing read New Young Pony Club and true to form, those crazy Brit-pop meets indie-electro kids did not disappoint. What was disappointing however was the overwhelming feeling that the Ponies’ international success had gone to their heads. This was even more stark when put alongside the humility and down-to-earth attitude of the Young Lovers, with NYPC instead demanding attention and enthusiasm. Or as lead singer Tahita Bulmer put it, “What the f**k am I here for?” Nevertheless, as they broke out into the opening tune Get Lucky, they grabbed the audience and didn’t let go for the next hour.
The curiously short set was dominated by debut Fantastic Playroom, with added surprises like a cover of PJ Harvey’s Dress and their own non-album tune Descend. Tahita’s vocal prowess was on display in the opening lines of Tight Fit, a potent reminder that the girl can hold a tune. It was fun and games as the audience enjoyed a sing-a-long with Fan, but the true highlights were Gray and final track The Bomb, with the epic performance transformed the dancefloor into a seething mass of bodyparts.
While most bands may fight to keep the audience interested, last Wednesday night the audience were fighting to hold the interest of the Ponies themselves. With due props to guitarist Andy Spence, the remaining band members may as well have been dragged onstage kicking and screaming. Keyboardist Lou Hayter seemed almost drowsy with her hypnotic swaying, and it was only their performance of The Bomb that promoted a tiny smile from Miss Hayter, but even then it was directed at bassist Igor Volk. Tahita may saved the audience from the boredom expressed by the other band members, but she still managed to throw a few insults out. “If you came here for a free ride or a cheap gig, I hear there’s a Fratellis’ gig down the street,” she called out, and was met with utter silence. Aussies are always grateful for bands who make the trek over for our festival season, but it was hard to interpret the continued baiting from Tahita (“I want to see you sweat, after all, I have traveled for a long time!”) as anything other than arrogance. And as much as we appreciated the encore, Tahita held the audience ransom as she demanded, “If you want more, you’ll have to give me more!” The Ponies obviously think we should be more grateful for their performance than they need to be for our support.
New Young Pony Club have hit indie/electronica stratosphere in more ways than one, and the quality of their live performance points to the fact they deserve the dizzying heights of success. But at the same time, these pushy kids need to firmly come back down to earth. Their fans will be waiting.
