Industrialised, yet aptly-named venue, The Standard, played humble host to an eclectic bunch of young revellers decked out in a variety of attire, from floral print dresses, geometric print leggings and asymmetrical haircuts to a range of headgear, in the way of fedoras and baseball caps to hoodies. The fashion was as fast as the owners’ flapping gums, paralleled with the short attention span that followed.
Shortly before 9pm, the stage, albeit small, became somewhat of a main attraction as ascending ambient reverb and vague vocals made their presence known as the force behind Newcastle trio, Boatfriends. Throughout their relatively short set, I couldn’t help but confidently conclude that Shanna Watson (vox/guitar/keys) could easily be mistaken for Raphaelle Standell-Preston (of Braids) as her voice is in the same vein vocally and distinctly temperamental. Departing away from their set and trademark electronica sound was the stunning “Anchoress”, a track devoid of synth-laden harmonies and rather an organic, yet haunting progressive jam that would make any Sigur Ros devotee feel as though they have almost experienced déjà vu.
Being confronted with a technical ‘glitch’ and admitting that they felt like the only elephant in the room in their underwear was surprise package of the night, Collarbones. Fortunately for the NSW/SA pair, they made do with the reliance on their raw talent as Marcus Whale relinquished his singing (and dancing) prowess while Travis Cook provided the bad-ass glitch-hop beats. The goings-on sparked an initial interest in the masses since the eruptive “Tashkent” was performed, along with other hits “Don Juan” and “Beaman Park”. The seriously crunkin’ boys will go far in the future with their uncanny flair of making an impact and leaving a lasting impression. Watch this space!
As a cruel reminder of ill-fate that Aphex Twin were performing at the Enmore Theatre that very same night, Alan Palomo and his band walked up to the platform as “Windowlicker” briefly surfaced. The Neon Indian frontman was perpetually propelled from the get-go in the form of jiving as he powered through the set, while encouraging the crowd to get into the groove. It was refreshing to hear the group sound sharp and succinct as a live outfit, which made for a bouncier beat to enjoy, aurally and physically. Highlight duo, “Polish Girl” and “Deadbeat Summer” brought out the wild side of the punters as they danced their derriere off in circled groups and one lone soldier decided to crowd-surf the human wave for a split second.
There was nothing ‘chillwave’ about the night except for the unified nonchalance in response to the preceding events. However in this case, actions definitely spoke louder than words. My ears were extremely grateful.
Setlist:
1. Local Joke
2. Hex Girlfriend
3. Terminally Chill
4. Mind, Drips
5. 6669 (I Don’t Know If You Know)
6. Fallout
7. Psychic Chasms
8. Polish Girl
9. Deadbeat Summer
10. Ephemeral Artery
Encore:
11. Should Have Taken Acid With You
12. The Blindside Kiss
