Deep Sea Arcade are one of the many Aussie bands who’ve I’ve heard on the radio, thought they were alright and have been meaning to go out and see their live show for ages and never actually did. Finally I got my chance to see the five piece from Sydney strut their stuff at the East, supporting The John Steel Singers on their national tour.
Live, Deep Sea Arcade were disappointing. They do catchy pop singles very well, with their particular brand of 60s-infused brit-rock being well received by the crowd, most of whom seemed a little nonplussed by the band‘s cool indifference toward the paying punters. Performance wise they seemed to be working very hard to create an air of detachment that did not make for impressive viewing. McKenzie was a hesitant frontman, as he stalked the stage bouncing behind the microphone, without making any attempt to build rapport with the crowd. Their set was pleasant, but it wasn’t great and nor was it engaging. The amusing dancing man in the audience who was getting off to their music showed a lot more passion and energy than the actual band members, and he was also far more interesting to watch.
The complete lack of showmanship and personality displayed by the members of Deep Sea Arcade really detracted from their music. Their studio work is catchy and fun, but live they lacked the energy and charisma to turn the regurgitation of their popular singles into something really enjoyable.
Riding high on the success of their debut LP Tangalooma, The John Steel Singers confidently took to the stage and got the party started by dropping their hit single “Overpass” early in the set. The six piece from Brisbane have some of the biggest hair in Aussie rock, and an even bigger sound with their delicate arrangements and falsetto harmonies being well executed live.
They are a fun band who looked like they were having a blast onstage cranking out track after track of dream-pop bliss such as “Strawberry Wine”, “Masochist” and “Rainbow Kraut” along with a couple of new non-album tunes to excite the fans. Frontman Tim Morrisey was very entertaining, telling a few anecdotes between songs and encouraging the crowd to move forward and dance. The band kept the energy at a high with their engaging stage presence and the super happy vibes they created through their music.
The John Steel Singers are a solid live act who raised the roof off the East Brunswick Club with another ripper performance. Be sure to catch them next time they’re in your town.
