Opening things up for Frightened Rabbit at their final Laneway sideshow (and what may be their final headline show for the year) were local five piece Gang of Youths, who seem to be popping up all over the place of late. Having driven to and from Melbourne in the last 48 hours in support of the Scottish band, the band showed no signs of fatigue as they filled out an impressive 45 minute set.
Their music is epic enough to fill a stadium yet can comfortably warm even the smallest of venues with well considered melodies and soulful moments that meld in elements of groups like Local Natives, The Shins and The Killers, who it seems the Gang have been regularly compared to. It’s of little surprise; lead vocalist David Leaupepe shines with a wide vocal range not unlike Killers’ Flowers, though the rest of the band holds just as much of our attention.
They are a tight unit who work together marvelously, and though a lack of a killer track (no pun intended) seems to be the only thing holding them back, their recent single “Evangelists” – a standout of the set – shows that this young band (no pun intended here either) are shaping themselves up nicely for a big year. Keep an eye on them…
As the virtually sold out Metro Theatre filled up, claps of anticipation began for the Scottish troubadours Frightened Rabbit. Far from strangers to our shores, the group have grown in popularity with every visit, with a dedicated fan base always proving to give the band a rousing reception at every performance. And tonight was no different, with fans singing along to every word and giving lead vocalist and guitarist Scott Hutchinson just enough heckling to work with; he’s an impressively engaging and hilarious front man to say the least, which is at times a helpful pause from their often heart wrenching lyrics.
The five piece, who added an extra member to the touring lineup last year in Simon Lidell, kicked things off with the brilliant “Holy”, ahead of 21 tracks that helped ensure the band kept to their promise of delivering a jam packed set in recognition of the gig being the band’s last planned headline performances for 2014, before they return to the studio.
It’s indeed been a big year for the band, with almost half the set dedicated to their most recent release, the acclaimed Pedestrian Verse, which has warranted not one but two trips to Australia; their last as part of Groovin’ The Moo last May. The reception of these tracks, from opener “Holy” to popular single “The Woodpile” – which opened their encore – and the brilliant “State Hospital” said it all about how this album has been received by fans. Well. Very well. And it’s brought them plenty of new ones, too.
Tracks off Verse were accompanied by career spanning set that featured a good dose of their 2008 full length, The Midnight Organ Fight and a few tracks from 2010’s The Winter of Mixed Drinks as their focus.
Personal highlights of the set – which held strong from start to finish – included the now classic “The Modern Leper”, which came in early, as did “Dead Now” from their latest release, which received a ‘hearty cheer’ at Scott’s recognition that the track is about ‘wishing you were dead’. This was followed by “Old Old Fashioned” which similarly went down a treat, and is perhaps a bit less depressing.
Things got most interesting when the set moved into acoustic mode, starting with “Nitrous Gas” that featured Scott on acoustic guitar with backing vocals from Grant and Gordon, before they left the stage for a three track acoustic affair which saw Scott take requests from the crowd, ending with “Fuck This Place”, which may have been the highlight of the whole night. Scott’s vocals sent shivers down the spine… it was truly something. The band returned for a few tracks ahead of the encore, ending the main set with “Acts of Man” and a bit of a jam, showing that as great as Scott is on his own, it’s the full band that makes Frightened Rabbit the band they are today.
The encore gave fans three of their favourite tracks, with “Keep Yourself Warm” coming in second and undoubtedly giving us the biggest sing along of the night; something for the band (and us) to remember, ahead of “The Loneliness and the Scream” closing things up.
Since first seeing the band at Laneway in 2010, I’ve seen the band release some of the best music of their careers and grow a fanbase to impressive proportions. And their live show just gets better and better. Every time the band come to Australia I see them play with more ferocity, enthusiasm and confidence, with tonight being no exception.
It looks like it might be a while before we see them back in Australia again, but what a way to say a brief goodbye – a gig that will easily go down as one of the highlights of the year.
SETLIST:
Holy
The Modern Leper
Nothing Like You
Living in Colour
Backyard Skulls
Dead Now
Old Old Fashioned
December’s Traditions
Music Now
Fast Blood (For Danger Dave)
State Hospital
Head Rolls Off
ACOUSTIC SET:
Nitrous Gas
Poke
Floating in the Forth
Fuck This Place
FULL BAND:
My Backwards Walk
The Oil Slick
Acts of Man
ENCORE:
The Woodpile
Keep Yourself Warm
The Loneliness and the Scream
