As I entered the Metro on a humid Friday evening, I found myself somehow pleased that this Midnight Juggernauts concert would be an over 18s affair, right back at the venue I first remember seeing the band, supporting Electric Six way back in 2005. And what a way they’ve come since then! Headlining the same venue 4 years later, a successful LP already in the worldwide market – and another on the way!
But first up (for me, at least, having missed a couple of the opening artists) were New Zealand’s ever-the-more-popular-everyday quartet Cut Off Your Hands, who brought their style of Indie Rock to the Sydney stage.
I’ve heard these guys on record quite a bit, and I’m certainly partial to their sound – but one thing I had never picked up on before, was how many of their songs felt like an ode to UK greats Supergrass. Maybe it’s just in the live environment, but I swore they were even doing a cover at one point – however, they were simply performing a track born out of the UK sound, reinterpreting it, and then shooting it back out as something as equally catchy and entertaining. Look no further than hit single “Oh Girl” and you know what I mean. “Expectations” was played just before the end of their set, and went off like a treat as well.
Despite the catchy sound, one problem this band faces, as many do in their early days, is a lack of variety in their music. This makes them perfect as a support act in a venue such as this – but when their next album comes around, they’ll definitely have to pull a few more punches to take them to that next level. Still, with the sound they’ve already developed, and the fantastic stage presence they possess – this should come with ease for the foursome!
DJ Golden Ron served for the interim, setting the crowd in the mood for the hour of electro-rock which was to follow. Despite playing the sort of techno tracks that were unrecognisable, they certainly kept the crowd interested. A rare feat!
But it was Melbourne three-piece Midnight Juggernauts who everyone had come to see – packing out the Metro, ready to party on a Friday night. With a new LP on the way, there were quite a few new tracks in the mix, all of which displayed a much ‘rockier’ sound. I, for one, am already a massive fan.
As much as I love Dystopia, I always felt it was a diversion from the sort of music they really wanted to make – choosing to (temporarily) fit in to the brand of electro that was becoming popular, and make it their own – which they achieved to great success!
But in their new tracks, rather than place emphasis on the keyboards, their amazing drummer, Daniel Stricker, takes centre stage, delivering the sort of rock and roll that makes you want to dance your face off. “Electro-rock” indeed. For a matter of comparison, I feel that live, Friendly Fires deliver similar. I also feel that this is how it was always meant to be.
As well as being blown away by the new material, crowd (and personal) favourite “Tombstone” was a natural highlight – sending the crowd into a frenzy, alongside “Into the Galaxy” and “Shadows”. But as I left the gig, I couldn’t help but feel like the new tracks had stolen the show. So rare is it at a gig which is 50% old, 50% new, that the new tracks can hold the audiences attention. MGMT, I’m looking at you. Maybe it was just the glowing balls that lined the stage, but the crowd was hypnotised from the first note of the first song, all the way until we slowly crawled out of the Metro an hour later.
I think the theme of this review is clear: Bring on the new album! As is often said by many such artists: “You haven’t seen nothin’ (of the Midnight Juggernauts) yet”.
Photo taken and kindly contributed by Chanou Moonen
