Draped in light and sounding solid for their first Australian gigs in five years, The Morning After Girls returned to Sydney in fine form, supporting the legendary My Bloody Valentine. The set included the phenomenal “The General Public”, the now classic “Shadows Evolve” and “Part of your Nature”. It was a loud set, fitting for any support band of Valentine, and helped remind the crowd as to why TMAG are one of Australia’s most underrated and finest bands. As they’re currently recording new material at home in Melbourne, we’ll undoubtedly hear more from the band who had been in residence in the USA between drinks…
And then it was time for the main act, “seminal shoegazers” My Bloody Valentine, who were playing their first shows in Australia in twenty one years; headlining and curating All Tomorrow’s Parties in Melbourne being the main reason for their visit. But thankfully they fit in a visit to Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, too, who kindly gave all guests a set of ear plugs. As I write this, my ears are ringing and I WAS wearing them! But more on that later.
With a xylophone opening proceedings, and a quick hello from Kevin Shields, the band jumped right into things, as projections sat across the whole stage, and sent us on a rather psychedelic trip down memory lane. The set focused heavily on the classic Loveless, though they gave us plenty from You Made Me Realise and Isn’t Anything, as well as a taste of their latest album M.B.V., which recently crashed the internets, in the track “New You”.
The fifteen track set was a crowd pleaser but featured little banter and the uneven mix that the band is famous for made most lyrics inaudiable. Other than Kevin’s brief hello, the only other moment of banter worth mentioning was when Belinda Butcher reminded us where the emergency exits were located ahead of the set closer “You Made Me Realise”, which famously pushes the sound system of venues well past their limits, as it erupts into a explosion of noise and sound that rumbles the venue and your ear drums – irrespective of the presence of plugs. What a powerful moment, to say the least.
The music was sublime, and it was a joy to experience these masters of their craft in action. But it wasn’t the mindblowing experience I was hoping for. The sound wasn’t great and with little banter, no encore and barely a goodbye, I didn’t really ever have anything to connect with, bar the music, which in spite of its volume, does sound better on record; though the live experience does have its own merits of power.
Even as I write this review I’m conflicted as to how I felt about the show. It was disappointing, yet overwhelmingly powerful and beautiful at the same time. This is a band who I never thought I’d get to see in my lifetime, and while I got the exact show I was expecting, I still hoped for more. So perhaps that’s just the conundrum I’m left in. But what I do know is this: this is one band with whom I couldn’t be more thrilled or privileged to have been granted the opportunity to see them in action.
While I continue to make up my mind, I’m going to listen to Loveless again. Ah, bliss.
Setlist:
I Only Said
When You Sleep
New You
You Never Should
Honey Power
Cigarette in Your Bed
Come in Alone
Only Shallow
Thorn
Nothing Much to Lose
To Here Knows When
Slow
Soon
Feed Me With Your Kiss
You Made Me Realise
