Almost every Friday night, I have someone asking me – what’s going on in the city tonight? Where can I see some great bands? And in my opinion, it’s almost always difficult to choose between SOSUEME at QBar, and MUM at World Bar. So for a simple exercise in effort, this Friday in question, I decided to head along to both. Here’s what went down!
First up, I caught Boats of Berlin at SOSUEME. Playing the first set of the night, I was surprised to see the room completely packed out, leaving me huddled in the corner. I believe if it wasn’t their first gig, it was one of the first, with the crowd full of family and friends out to support the group. Their vibe of the Sydney five piece is very much of the Fleet Foxes / Grizzly Bear variety – that cute indie pop with folk running through its veins. And they do a great job of it. Are they anything new? Not yet. But could they be something pretty special – definitely. Stay tuned!
Next I caught one of the AU review’s favourite local four pieces, One Flew East. It was the first time I’d seen the band properly, and I have to say I was thoroughly impressed from start to finish. As a testament to just how many people had come just to see Boats of Berlin, the floor felt rather empty by comparison, but One Flew East nonetheless filled it up with fantastic stage presence, brimming with energy. This was a band born to grace the stage, and I can certainly see them doing it for a long time to come.
At the end of their set, I journeyed to World Bar to catch a few standout acts: Deep Sea Arcade, Three Month Sunset (Melbourne), City Riots (Adelaide) and Radio National. Three Month Sunset were playing as I entered the venue, and was immediately blown away by just how friggin’ sweet they were. I don’t really know how to describe my surprise beyond this statement. Having never heard of them before tonight, you better believe they made an impression. It’s instrumental ambient splendour, with a touch of rock and roll and the grace and talents of a band who have been doing it for a long time. With every note they played, their crowd grew and grew – with us all bearing a similar grin – “I don’t know who this band are BUT I LIKE IT”.
I think it goes without saying that Deep Sea Arcade were the highlight of the night. The crowd loved it, the band loved it, and we were all dancing together until they produced their last note. They know how to work a crowd, but more importantly, they know how to play fucking great music. What more do you need than that? And they’re now at a point in their careers that crowds know their stuff! So the singalongs add to that experience, too.
City Riots followed and impressed with their brand of catchy and energetic rock and roll. They’ve got confidence on stage that seems to work just about everywhere they go. Tonight, however, this didn’t seem to be the case – it’s not easy to play MUM around midnight… it’s even harder to play MUM around midnight when you’re a band from out of town. Sometimes it works, but tonight I didn’t feel it – the energy from the crowd wasn’t there. But such is the nature of the live music scene. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but the important thing is that the band still had fun, gave it their all, and it looked like they won a few fans up front in spite of it all. Let’s get you boys back here playing some proper shows!
Finally Radio National gave the MILF stage a closing performance, as the clock was indeed heading towards forever o’clock. Maybe I was just too tired from my epic evening, but I really couldn’t connect with the band in this encounter – it came across as overdone and uninspired. But I swear I’ve seen them before and thought differently. Much like the reception of the band before them, such is just the nature of the music scene – you can run around between venues, have an amazing time, see so many amazing bands – but there are bound to be a few moments in which you mind, body, or the band in front of you, fail to provide you with the experience you’re looking for. But if it’s not for these moments, how are you going to know what’s outstanding?
Back onto the point of this article – both SOSUEME and MUM are fantastic ways to spend a Friday evening. But for the sake of it, perhaps just choose one and stick to it. The artists and DJs on offer are going to be a superb mix no matter what you choose! We’ll see you out there 🙂
