Recently the best former member of One Direction, Harry Styles, came out in support of the strength and undying enthusiasm that young fans have for the artists they like. “Teenage-girl fans – they don’t lie. If they like you, they’re there. They don’t act ‘too cool’. They like you, and they tell you. Which is sick.” Everything that Styles said is 100% true and bands like San Cisco have a lot to thank their young fans for. Based on their headlining set at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, they continue to put their thanks towards creating a live set that their fans won’t forget for a while yet.
The ever great Thelma Plum helped set the mood for the main act as she cruised her way through a 40-minute main support slot. With the stage adorned with “THELMA” balloons, Plum held the eager crowd’s attention as she showcased tracks from her upcoming debut album, whilst sprinkling the set with a couple older tracks. The definite standout and most positively received track was her 2014 masterpiece, “How Much Does Your Love Cost?”. Thanking her fans and telling the young crowd to continue to look out for one another, Plum well and truly left the punters in a positive state.
One thing I did notice in the half hour intermission between sets was that at the ripe old age of 24 I was probably the oldest guy in the room. I’ve always wondered what it’s like being the oldest person within a generally youthful scene. Now I know; it’s an odd feeling. Entering the stage just after 9:30pm, the Perth four-piece busted into “Did You Get What You Came For” from recent album The Water. With a real The Cure vibe to it, it was the upbeat start to the set you kind of expected. Moving into 2016 single “SloMo”, the crowd were singing back every word and just having a bloody good time.
Watching from the far left of the crowd, it reminded me of the enthusiasm I had for bands when I was in school. Feeling old and nostalgic, we were thrown back a couple years to the Scarlett Stevens led “Magic”. With all due respects to the guys in the band, Scarlett is the standout performer of the quartet. I mean, she was beat-boxing live through out the entirety of the track, whilst also playing the drums and singing. To put these talents in perspective, I once burnt two minute noodles so bad they caught on fire. I’ll let that sink in.
Throwing it back to “Beach”, frontman Jordi Davieson took the reigns of next track “The Water”, as he led the song with vocals and semi acoustic steeze. Moving into the Lego Movie influenced “The Distance”, the alt-disco slow groover was a mid set highlight, while current single “Hey, Did I Do You Wrong?” was the summery break that led me to the bar, which due to the age of the crowd, was largely deserted. Telling the crowd that the track is about the disintegration of a relationship, you got the feeling that Jordi, as a person in a band who’s currently on tour, was probably the reason for the disintegration of said relationship.
The cute “B-Side” was up next as the dual vocals of Scarlett and Jordi took the room to another level. “That Boy” was the ever-present reminder from the band that dating dickheads is never a good idea. All I could think about during “That Boy” was how much it would suit the soundtrack of a Nintendo Mario game.
As the set entered it closing the stages, the classic “Fred Astaire” made a pleasant appearance, as the crowd absolutely frothed on the synth solo during its final moments. While I realise the band are touring their current album The Water, it would have been great to include a couple more songs of this era within the set. As the cool kids down the front continued with their unabated adoration, the funky “Kids Are Cool” heated the room up just a little before main set closer “Too Much Time Together” brought about the biggest sing-a-long of the night.
Entering for a brief encore led by a solo track from Davieson, the last track of the night was dedicated to all the Isabellas, as “RUN” brought to an end a fun and sweet set from one of the leading indie-pop acts of Australia. While it was lovely to be reminded of what it was like to have an undying infatuation for a band, it was great to see that the younger generation of the population still know how to have a great time. They loved every moment of San Cisco’s set, and without a doubt showed the band how grateful they were to have the chance see them live.
SAN CISCO TOUR DATES
For ticket information, visit www.sancisco.com
June 7th | Club 54, LAUNCESTON
with Stella Donnelly
June 8th | Republic Bar, HOBART
with Stella Donnelly
June 9th | The Wool Exchange, GEELONG
with APES and Stella Donnelly
June 10th | Village Green Hotel, MULGRAVE
with APES and Stella Donnelly
June 11th | Chelsea Heights Hotel, CHELSEA HEIGHTS
with APES and Stella Donnelly
June 29th | Prince of Wales, BUNBURY
with Thelma Plum and Boat Show
June 30th | Settlers Tavern, MARGARET TAVERN
with Thelma Plum and Boat Show
July 1st | Astor Theatre, PERTH
with Thelma Plum and Boat Show
July 2nd | Astor Theatre, PERTH
with Thelma Plum and Boat Show
Photo by Ebony Talijancich.
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