Perth locals Runner played their second and final launch show for their debut album Cloud Kingdom in the intimate confines of the Astor Lounge on Friday night.
Opening the show was the as ever ethereal Rabbit Island, performing as a duo, with Jake Webb on guitar duties alongside Amber Fresh. Whilst there were a few minor missteps including the abandonment of one song, it was a enjoyable performance, with a beautiful vocal performance from Fresh and some great guitar work from Webb. Many of their songs have a similar airy dreamlike quality, but it never at any point felt dreary or repetitive. All in all it was a relaxed and low-fi start to the evening.
The Flower Drums, recently returned from on tour in US, were up next and unfortunately left me a little disappointed. I’d seen the band a couple of times before and really enjoyed their performances, but there were a few niggling sound issues that let them down this time; there were times when the vocals were almost undistinguishable over the mix. Though on a positive note, apart from the vocals, I thought the band sounded great, with some brilliant instrumental moments.
A sudden onslaught of people into the crowd signalled the arrival of Runner, with the five-piece bolstered by a few extra musicians (violins and percussion) for the evening. It became apparent pretty early on in the set, that Runner are a band unafraid of the extended instrumental, nor do they shy away from the odd epic intro. In fact it was a few songs in before we heard a song with vocals. Instead the audience were treated to a number of grand and atmospheric soundscapes that built in intensity brilliantly.
Lead single “Islands” was an early highlight, with the track’s writer Chris Watson taking over vocal duties. But it was a confident and assured performance from the five-piece all round, not only showcasing the new record perfectly, but also highlighting their skills as musicians, with a fair bit of instrument swapping, and sharing of vocal duties. Arguably one of the aims of an album launch is to get the crowd interested in the new record, and at least from my point of view they succeeded, I couldn’t leave the venue without picking up a copy of the new album. A great performance, I can’t wait to get stuck into the album, and catch them live again soon.
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