Having missed these much lauded musicians on several occasions in the past, it was with great anticipation that I rocked into my local to check out Australia’s premiere ‘post’ instrumentalists for their headlining show. An upbeat vibe in town and a free show at the Northern can mean anything given Byron’s abundance of ‘unique’ characters. Tonight would prove to be no different.
As I enetered the backroom saying hi to a few of the regulars, I was seduced by the exquisite meanderings of post rock 2 piece, The Sea Shall Not Have Them. There is much to like about this band. If I’m not mistaken, the drummer is ex-Helm basher, Mat, handy to say the least and a top bloke. All too soon the final track was fading out like a broken soul and they were exiting the stage.
As I caught up with a few friends and getting all the latest ‘musical insights’ from those in the know, I did my best to take in Greenthief as the talented Brisbane rockers rolled through a tight as ever set, warming up the burgeoning blended crowd very nicely for what was to come.
Enter Sleepmakeswaves, met with uncertain applause by a largely virginal crowd – it was to be the last occasion for muted appreciation of the evening. SMW say industry insiders are red hot right now having delivered their most memorable shows of their career and this was to be another standout indeed. Showcasing mostly from their latest highly acclaimed release, the dynamic 4 piece lurched, leapt and unleashed between a myriad of captivating soundscapes. Ranging from moments of fragile whispers between guitars, to building in unison, with the powerhouse rhythm masters tireless in their dedication to the foundation that cradle the ethereal ‘tops’ so synonomous with the Sydneysiders signature style.
As the set progressed the crowd became increasingly delighted as was clear by the howls of appreciation after each captivating track. A young local man entertained both crowd and band alike with an elegantly interpretive dance display that accompanied the entire performance, providing a heartfelt foil to the, at times, all consuming wall of sound emanating from the stage. Interspersing an assortment of remixes from earlier releases, SMW could do no wrong effortlessly coaxing the crowd into their collective palms with infectiously innovative departures from a familiar path.
With a ‘score like’ crescendo befitting a tinseltown epic, the band downed tools and exited to a ceaseless cocophony of applause, wolfwhistles and unified exclamations for “more”. Persistence it seems pays off with likable ‘frontman’, bassist Alex beaming as he returned to the stage moments later much to the audible delight of the Byron punters. As his partners in art followed on and assumed the position, he thanked the crowd for an extraordinary evening and they reciprocated raucously as we were assured that a SMW encore was an exception to the norm.
The sense of camaraderie was palpable as the crowd made the most of the superfluous expression from a band on fire and loving their art. It was a joy to witness one of the flagship australian artists at the peak of their powers and loving every minute of it. Do what you can to catch any of their remaining shows. God speed and long live Sleepmakeswaves!
Reviewer and Photographer: Sam Paquette
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxSItcUPRMc
great review , by far the best band in Australia at the moment.
Wicked review. Feeling the enthusiasm great instrumental band at that! Lauds.