Melbourne alt-rock sweethearts Slowly Slowly brought their Daisy Chain album tour to The Tivoli in Brisbane last night for the third show on their five-date national headline run. Supported by Between You & Me and CLEWS, the quartet played a whopping two-hour set which included their latest album in full.
Sydney indie-rock duo CLEWS kicked things off with the enthusiasm of a headliner. Comprised of sisters on guitars and vocals with a bassist and drummer in tow, they won the crowd over with their entertaining banter and relatable lyrics (they have a podcast after all). Sultry vocals, warm harmonies, strummed guitars and the occasional synth let them switch effortlessly between downtempo grooves and upbeat rhythms. Definitely a band worth checking out if you like your love song with a hint of bitterness.
Next was Melbourne pop-punk five-piece Between You & Me, who took to the stage yelling ‘What’s going on, c****?’ to a packed room. Their uncontained energy had the crowd jumping from the first song and they even taught them to scream ‘Shit yeah’ after saying one, two, three. Punchy riffs and catchy hooks carried the set, which included favourites like “Supervillain” and “Nevermind” to get a circle pit going. Big singalong “Go to Hell” (sans Yours Truly) went down well before ending with “Deadbeat”, splitting the middle of the crowd so the bassist could join them for a lasting impression.
The stage lit up for the awaited Slowly Slowly behind a white curtain that dropped as frontman Ben Stewart launched into album opener “Daisy Chain” then acquired a guitar for throwback track “Alchemy”. A few songs in, the thunderous intro to “Turn It Around” was a highlight of the set before fan-favourite “PMTWGR” captivated with its overlapping vocals and huge bridge. Groovy singalong “19” got the crowd warmed up for the Like A Version Blink-182 cover of “I Miss You”, arguably one of the catchiest songs of our generation.
After saying how grateful they were to collaborate with the legendary Dashboard Confessional, Slowly brought out BY&M frontman Jake Wilson for “Moving Trains”. Another standout track was the evocative “God”, a five-minute inquiry of existentialism which Ben was apparently most excited to play live on the tour. The band took a moment to shout out their tireless live crew before “Race Car Blues”, an emotional pinnacle serving as the halfway point of the enormous set.
The lights went down for a moment then a spotlight illuminated a solo Ben with a 1972 Gibson acoustic guitar atop the sound desk at the back of the room. Intimate renditions of “Medicine”, “Papier-mâché” and “Death Proof” left fans in awe after a wholesome dedication to bandmate and dear friend Alex Quayle and birthday boy drummer Patrick Murphy. The band reformed on stage for “Creature of Habit” (Pt.2 also came later) and “Ten Leaf Clover”, with a rocking segway to “Longshot”.
Cult classic “Smile Lines” was supposedly just left in the set to create awareness of online bullying, yet still went down as hard as ever. A lyric slip-up in “Forget You” lightened the mood for a shout out to their guitar techs and manager/photographer before giving fans The Calamari Song (“Jellyfish”). The energy came to a boil for the end of the set, with hit single “Nothing On” and fun closer “Blueprint” creating a circle on the floor for Ben to jump in then crowdsurf to a cheering crowd.
The beloved locals played a huge set which included Daisy Chain in full, some old gold and even a few acoustic tracks for those in the back. Although something from Race Car Blues Chapter Two wouldn’t have gone astray, the mix was well-balanced and the lights complimented each song to make it a truly immersive experience. There is no doubt that Slowly Slowly are one of our best live acts and deeply humbled by their deserved success.
