Sydney natives Winter People play a pleasant mix of folk, pop and post-rock that for me was an instantly forgettable affair. Their stage presence was only so-so and while they write pretty melodies they just weren’t doing it for me, with the band lacking the intensity and energy to elevate their performance from being an average affair to something worthy of note. The dual violins were lost in the sound mix and completely underutilized and their twee harmonies were patchy in places and did little to make them stand out from the plethora of bands in Melbourne who play very similar sets 7 nights a week. Winter People have good arrangements but their live show didn’t live up to the power of their studio recordings on this occasion.
Love Migrate took to the stage with gusto and delighted the crowd with a fantastic performance. Their sweeping arrangements translate well in a live setting with the band’s intense atmospherics making for a ephermeral surreal live music experience. Front man Eddie Alexander’s vocals shine onstage and his impassioned delivery demands your attention. The six-piece played a tight show with their melodramatic arrangements encompassing the band room. Highlights of the set included grand renditions of “Little Kid” and “Red Wolf” which finished off the night of new tunes that showed a lot of promise for whenever this lot get around to releasing a record. Love Migrate are one of the better live acts floating around this city and their single launch was a highly enjoyable affair that really cemented the band’s new direction. Keep an eye out for more amazing things to come from them in the near future.
