A large crowd gathered early at the Corner, with eager punters claiming their places in the front row ready to cheer on the states latest indie darlings Grouplove. Warming the stage were another international act Young The Giant whose set left a lot to be desired. The five piece from California aren’t big on showmanship and their live sound barely deviated from their studio recordings. They have a big sound, but sadly the sound was washed out in the band room during their set which didn’t help matters.
Young The Giant played a short, sharp set with vocalist Sameer Ghadia seemingly going through the motions on tracks “Apartment”, “Cough Syrup” and finishing up with “My Body”. They play tightly, but with little passion or energy which was disappointing to see. The crowd didn’t seem to into the music either, barely moving to the rockier numbers and giving the band a warm spattering of applause at the end of their performance.
Grouplove took to the stage with gusto and got the crowd moving with their infectiously happy pop. The band have a good energy and were obviously enjoying themselves as they danced around onstage happily enjoying their time in the limelight. Having only released one EP, Grouplove did well to keep the crowd entertained. Their set consisted of fan favourites such as “Itchin On A Photograph” and some new tracks “Gold Coast” and “Spun” from their forthcoming debut LP that were well received by the audience.
Still riding high from their time at Splendour In The Grass, Hannah Hooper played part of the set wearing a stocking over her face, which she later explained was being used in lieu of the mask she usually wears that was stolen at the festival. Their sweet boy-girl harmonies and boisterous delivery had the crowd enraptured as they encored with their hit single “Colours” before calling it a night and promising to come back and visit soon. Grouplove’s live show was a lot of fun, be sure to catch them next time they’re in your town.