There were several reasons to get excited this August night, as I was going to check out Club Mod – a new live event showcase put on by Modular Records. Saturday 16 August saw me take to The Forum in Sydney, and the reasons for my excitement were three-fold; 1. Van She 2. Ladyhawke 3. Tame Impala.
Tame Impala opened up the night, whipping out a raw and vibrant sound that drew the crowd in from the bar. The three-piece band from Perth are Modular’s latest signing, and despite their young appearance it was interesting they have such a psychedelic sound. The vocal work of Kevin Parker was ‘droney’ and drawn out with no accenting on notes, which could be described as hypnotic. Their original material emulated a familiar 60s feel, but incorporated their own edge like they’d something of their own to say. Being young and new to the scene, Tame Impala (more specifically frontman Parker) did have some awkwardness on-stage, as the interaction between the band and the audience was minimal, but they seemed to relax as the set went on. I particularly enjoyed their cover of the club hit ‘Remember Me’, as I could hear the ‘gang gang gangs’ coming from the audience and saw dancing bodies filling the floor.
Van She’s frontman Nick Routledge came out with an eye-popping brown leather jacket, and I must commend him on his vocals as it was consistent and he held notes well. His stage presence is what you’d expect; energetic and ‘rockstarish’. The keyboards added a spacey element to the band, and their single ‘Changes’ was a hit with the crowd. I can definitely appreciate the band’s overall musicianship; they show encouraging signs of becoming a real force to be reckoned with. They are a solid band, but need to define their sound a bit further and steer away from those they’re often compared to, like Cut Copy and The Presets. They have the potential to reign high in the industry (the key word here being ‘potential’), but after seeing their performance on Saturday, they’re not quite there just yet. Though I am looking forward to future releases from the Sydney outfit.
Now, let’s talk about the highlight of the evening, the blonde bombshell from New Zealand; Ladyhawke. My god, this young woman was impressive! NZ-born and Sydney bred, Ladyhawke is destined for musical success. She came on stage with her backing band and played a great opening track, drawing the crowd in with a slow burning instrumental piece – it gave us a taste of what was to come. She has an electronic-pop sound – showcasing her songwriting talents and exceptionally unique approach. She delivered her tunes with energy, and they were catchy, engaging and just plain fun. Her set reminded me a bit of the ‘Lost in Translation’ soundtrack, as it was carefully crafted and left you wanting more. After the instrumental start she exploded into a invigorating rock show, and each song timed perfectly. Arms were up in the air, the crowd sung the lyrics, and you could feel the love when she played her single ‘Paris is Burning’ – a favourite of mine.
patrout says...
You write your review like it was tame impala followed by van she followed by ladyhawke, but if my memory serves me correctly, van she played last, also in my opinion Van She was a lot tighter then ladyhawke was, massive disappointment from her! the crowd just wasn't reacting to her.. van she got the crowd moving for sure