Splendour in the Grass, Day One -- Byron Bay
Splendour in the Grass
Byron Bay
22 July, 2006
Under the Supertop, three-piece Brittle fex deliver with some blistering punk rock. With riffs as muscly as their impressively toned biceps, the Ballina-based trio power through a high-intensity set and aren’t afraid to put in the hard yards and try to rev the gradually building crowd. A small pocket of hardcore fans near the front responds with horned fists and some slam dancing during the final song.
Swedish rockers Dungen open with a slinky new number full of bass that slides across the ears like the aural equivalent of chocolate and cigarettes.
Then, after an impromptu lesson in pronouncing their name correctly, (it’s ‘Doonyen’) they launch into a series of musical digressions that dreamily weave keyboards and guitars together while frontman Gustav Ejstes sings in indecipherable Swedish. Heavier tracks that feature some delightful King Crimson-like drumming are interspersed with the occasional acoustic-folk number, but when Ejstes pulls out the flute they really begin to shine. He wields it with virtuoso brilliance, equally adept at producing crisp, pure notes or making it burr throatily like a set of pan pipes.
Their more direct radio-friendly Triple J hit ‘Panda’ enjoys the biggest cheer, but for this punter, everything Dungen sounds better with flute.
Up-and-comers Youth Group don’t seem to hit their straps until midway through their set. Maybe it’s personal lack of familiarity with their material, but it all seems a little one toned and muddled and even ‘Under the Underpass’s’ cool riffs can’t make up for it. The sound guys aren’t helping either, with ‘Let it Go’ suffering from an overabundance of bass.
However, everything clicks into place once they hit ‘Skeleton Jar’. The sparse guitar and tasty rhythm really allows the bass to shine through, and Toby Martin’s voice melds in gorgeously. He has plenty of vocal competition from the crowd for OC hit ‘Forever Young’, then ‘Shadowland’ brings the set to a more-than-tidy conclusion.
Nice save, guys.
Bubbles swirl through the air near the stage as Death Cab for Cutie complete their preparations. The crowd swells, and anticipation seems high, but there’s a bit of restlessness as they’re delayed a full 10 minutes by microphone issues. When they finally appear, they launch immediately into Transatlanticism’s ‘New Year’, Ben Gibbard’s vocals pouring out clearly and forcefully as he moves energetically around the stage. The lyrics might be mopey and melancholic, but the stage act is anything but.
For the second time in a week, I’m struck by the fact that, live, they have a presence and energy that seems absent on their studio albums. Songs such as ‘We Laugh Indoors’ and ‘Title and Registration’ transform from soft reflective numbers into oddly joyous affairs full of vigour, vim and enthusiasm.
‘Soul Meets Body’ proves just how many Death Cab fans are lurking as thousands of voices rise as one and match Gibbard’s volume.
“You guys are peachy,” he says as the song concludes.
‘Crooked Teeth’ with its awesome bass is vervalicious, and Gibbard’s extended drum duet with Jason McGerr for ‘We Looked Like Giants’ is little short of breathtaking. All too soon, Death Cab wind to a thrilling conclusion with ‘The Sound of Settling’, but it’s obvious that those who saw them didn’t have to settle one iota.
Every fan of The Grates in Australia must have showed up for Splendour. Thousands flail and jump around like demented Patience-wannabes while the terrible trio rip through a power-pop-punk set dominated by songs from Gravity won’t get you high. Even the uber-punchy ‘Message’ is unable to match the sheer insanity that songs such as ‘Trampoline’, ‘Lies Are Much More Fun’ and ‘Science is Golden’ generate.
The highlight is the back-to-back craziness of ‘19 20 20’ and ‘Inside Outside’ - complete with a frenzy of balloons dropped from above. Patience dedicates ‘Inside Outside’ to all the motherfuckers in the audience. “Which is every single one of you!” she gushes breathlessly. Apparently we’re all born to dance.
The lowlight is the sound. Alana’s drumming is spot on, Patience is at turns manic then slinky and John does his stuff in his usual no-fuss manner, but too often at both the bottom and top end, The Grates simply seem unable to fill the Supertop with noise. And I miss ex-keyboardist Conan’s banjo for ‘Sukkafish’.
Next time, hopefully, the sound guys will be able to ensure the Grates aren’t accidentally hiding their brilliant light under a bush.
Across at the GW McLennan Theatre, Tex Perkins has swapped the alcohol-fuelled intensity of the Beasts of Bourbon for a country-tinged set with partner-in-crime Charlie Owen. But regardless of genre, the themes of love, loss and getting fucked over remain.
The crowd hushes respectfully as the pair put on a jaw-dropping performance. ‘She Speaks a Different Language’ is a highlight with Owen providing gorgeous piano. Equally stunning is the maudlin yet triumphant ‘You’re 39’ for which Owen produces a tenor recorder while Perkins wows in the role of gentle crooner. Sadly, it’s also their final song, but if the aim is to leave ‘em wanting more, clearly these two did not overstay the welcome.
TV on the Radio is already going strong back at the Supertop. They punch out a bunch of tight tunes with great rhythm. Guitarist Kyp Malone is unnaturally still while playing. Mesmerising as a Dutch master's still life, he hardly moves while playing, yet the most extraordinary sounds emerge.
The climax is a percussion-driven version of ‘Ambulance’ completely atypical of their largely rocking set. It sees Kyp and fellow-guitarist David Andrew Sitek abandoning their instruments for drumsticks. They dance crazily around Jaleel Bunton’s kit as if performing a war dance, while Tunde Adebimpe raps away beautifully through a megaphone.
Something for Kate put away the mopey tunes for an aggressive set that features several songs from their newest album Desert Lights. Openers ‘Transparanoia’ and ‘Cigarettes and Suitcases’ are a blunt statement that Paul Dempsey and company aren’t here to mollycoddle the crowd with a bunch of hits and memories.
But there’s also a grab-bag from the back-catalogue. Pip’s crazed guitar the drives ‘Prick’, while a mass sing-along for ‘Monsters’ proves the lasting popularity of Echolalia. ‘Captain’ begins softly with Paul only accompanied by soft drumming, but it’s deceptive. Before long, Stef and then Pip join in and the intensity builds while everyone sings along.
‘Electricity’, which Paul introduces as “a song for anyone who’s every stuck their finger in a lightsocket”, zaps the brain with its climactic repeated refrain and lightning guitars. However, it’s a stunning cover of the Clash’s ‘Rock the Casbah’ that steals the limelight and perhaps garners the biggest audience cheer of the day.
Tight and sound-perfect from start to finish, Something for Kate’s hour-long set is one of the day’s highlights.
Back in the GW McLennan Theatre it’s packed to the rafters. Mogwai are in the midst of guiding an enraptured audience through a series of sonic scapes that seem to evoke the weather. Guitars, keys and drums squall like rain, echo like thunder and patter like a soft sunshower as the Scots eschew vocals to show off the exquisite beauty and range of instrumental rock. Unfortunately, the sonic fury concludes all too soon and we stream off to Grinspoon with our ears slightly battered but the better for the experience.
After more than 10 years round the traps, the Grinners still rock fucking hard. Frontman Phil Jamieson might have traded up to a more dapper jacket-and-tie look, but as he and his bandmates are still intent on burning through the eardrums with noise and attitude.
The latter half of their set reads like who’s who of Grinner’s singles: ‘Champion’s’ short sharp bass and thumping drums get the punters moshing all the way back, before morphing into an insane version of ‘More Than You Are’.If this wasn’t enough to create a frenzy of jumping, dancing and singing, ‘Just Ace’ does the trick. Phil tells everyone to enjoy it - apparently it’s the last time they’re playing it. ‘Chemical Heart’s’ awesome guitar keeps the mood going, and then the Grinner’s bring it on home with a storming rendition of ‘Black Friday’ to round out one of the tightest sets of Oz rock I’ve ever seen.
Sonic Youth emerge shortly after to treat us to a trademark blend of feedback, dissonance and cacophony. The emphasis leans towards tracks from their newest release Rather Ripped. Rather Ripped has been hailed for its accessibility - a more pop-leaning effort, with shorter, more melodic songs and minimal distortion. Live renditions are much more intense.
‘Incinerate’ has a gorgeous syrupy edge that’s the result of the addition of a second bassist to supplement Kim Gordon while Gordon’s voice is ten times more gravelly for ‘Reena’. ‘Do You Believe in Rapture’ swirls pensively with signature off-key strumming from Thurston Moore. The zen-like minimalism, coupled with Moore’s voice, is arresting. When he sings “Do you believe in a second chance?” it’s hard to believe he’s not singing about love, rather than slyly commenting on religious fundamentalism.
The softer, down-tempo ‘Turquiose Boy’ features some haunting guitars. There’s a brief mid-song adjournment for some sonic squalling before it returns to the theme and concludes. However, it’s a blast-furnace version of 1990 album Goo’s ‘Mote’ that features the New Yorker’s at their most dissonant. By the climax, Moore is scraping his guitar against the speaker stacks and along the front of the stage creating some overwhelming feedback. We all watch in something akin to awe.
The sleazy ‘100%’ makes an appearance to the delight of the crowd, who gleefully sing along with Moore while he chants: “I’ve been around the world a million times, and all you men are slime”. By comparison to everything else it feels remarkably straightlaced. The evening concludes with Lee Ronaldo and Moore trading ‘Schizophrenia’s’ melody back and forth with the ease of true rock veterans. Truly splendid.
Byron Bay
22 July, 2006
Under the Supertop, three-piece Brittle fex deliver with some blistering punk rock. With riffs as muscly as their impressively toned biceps, the Ballina-based trio power through a high-intensity set and aren’t afraid to put in the hard yards and try to rev the gradually building crowd. A small pocket of hardcore fans near the front responds with horned fists and some slam dancing during the final song.
Swedish rockers Dungen open with a slinky new number full of bass that slides across the ears like the aural equivalent of chocolate and cigarettes.
Then, after an impromptu lesson in pronouncing their name correctly, (it’s ‘Doonyen’) they launch into a series of musical digressions that dreamily weave keyboards and guitars together while frontman Gustav Ejstes sings in indecipherable Swedish. Heavier tracks that feature some delightful King Crimson-like drumming are interspersed with the occasional acoustic-folk number, but when Ejstes pulls out the flute they really begin to shine. He wields it with virtuoso brilliance, equally adept at producing crisp, pure notes or making it burr throatily like a set of pan pipes.
Their more direct radio-friendly Triple J hit ‘Panda’ enjoys the biggest cheer, but for this punter, everything Dungen sounds better with flute.
Up-and-comers Youth Group don’t seem to hit their straps until midway through their set. Maybe it’s personal lack of familiarity with their material, but it all seems a little one toned and muddled and even ‘Under the Underpass’s’ cool riffs can’t make up for it. The sound guys aren’t helping either, with ‘Let it Go’ suffering from an overabundance of bass.
However, everything clicks into place once they hit ‘Skeleton Jar’. The sparse guitar and tasty rhythm really allows the bass to shine through, and Toby Martin’s voice melds in gorgeously. He has plenty of vocal competition from the crowd for OC hit ‘Forever Young’, then ‘Shadowland’ brings the set to a more-than-tidy conclusion.
Nice save, guys.
Bubbles swirl through the air near the stage as Death Cab for Cutie complete their preparations. The crowd swells, and anticipation seems high, but there’s a bit of restlessness as they’re delayed a full 10 minutes by microphone issues. When they finally appear, they launch immediately into Transatlanticism’s ‘New Year’, Ben Gibbard’s vocals pouring out clearly and forcefully as he moves energetically around the stage. The lyrics might be mopey and melancholic, but the stage act is anything but.
For the second time in a week, I’m struck by the fact that, live, they have a presence and energy that seems absent on their studio albums. Songs such as ‘We Laugh Indoors’ and ‘Title and Registration’ transform from soft reflective numbers into oddly joyous affairs full of vigour, vim and enthusiasm.
‘Soul Meets Body’ proves just how many Death Cab fans are lurking as thousands of voices rise as one and match Gibbard’s volume.
“You guys are peachy,” he says as the song concludes.
‘Crooked Teeth’ with its awesome bass is vervalicious, and Gibbard’s extended drum duet with Jason McGerr for ‘We Looked Like Giants’ is little short of breathtaking. All too soon, Death Cab wind to a thrilling conclusion with ‘The Sound of Settling’, but it’s obvious that those who saw them didn’t have to settle one iota.
Every fan of The Grates in Australia must have showed up for Splendour. Thousands flail and jump around like demented Patience-wannabes while the terrible trio rip through a power-pop-punk set dominated by songs from Gravity won’t get you high. Even the uber-punchy ‘Message’ is unable to match the sheer insanity that songs such as ‘Trampoline’, ‘Lies Are Much More Fun’ and ‘Science is Golden’ generate.
The highlight is the back-to-back craziness of ‘19 20 20’ and ‘Inside Outside’ - complete with a frenzy of balloons dropped from above. Patience dedicates ‘Inside Outside’ to all the motherfuckers in the audience. “Which is every single one of you!” she gushes breathlessly. Apparently we’re all born to dance.
The lowlight is the sound. Alana’s drumming is spot on, Patience is at turns manic then slinky and John does his stuff in his usual no-fuss manner, but too often at both the bottom and top end, The Grates simply seem unable to fill the Supertop with noise. And I miss ex-keyboardist Conan’s banjo for ‘Sukkafish’.
Next time, hopefully, the sound guys will be able to ensure the Grates aren’t accidentally hiding their brilliant light under a bush.
Across at the GW McLennan Theatre, Tex Perkins has swapped the alcohol-fuelled intensity of the Beasts of Bourbon for a country-tinged set with partner-in-crime Charlie Owen. But regardless of genre, the themes of love, loss and getting fucked over remain.
The crowd hushes respectfully as the pair put on a jaw-dropping performance. ‘She Speaks a Different Language’ is a highlight with Owen providing gorgeous piano. Equally stunning is the maudlin yet triumphant ‘You’re 39’ for which Owen produces a tenor recorder while Perkins wows in the role of gentle crooner. Sadly, it’s also their final song, but if the aim is to leave ‘em wanting more, clearly these two did not overstay the welcome.
TV on the Radio is already going strong back at the Supertop. They punch out a bunch of tight tunes with great rhythm. Guitarist Kyp Malone is unnaturally still while playing. Mesmerising as a Dutch master's still life, he hardly moves while playing, yet the most extraordinary sounds emerge.
The climax is a percussion-driven version of ‘Ambulance’ completely atypical of their largely rocking set. It sees Kyp and fellow-guitarist David Andrew Sitek abandoning their instruments for drumsticks. They dance crazily around Jaleel Bunton’s kit as if performing a war dance, while Tunde Adebimpe raps away beautifully through a megaphone.
Something for Kate put away the mopey tunes for an aggressive set that features several songs from their newest album Desert Lights. Openers ‘Transparanoia’ and ‘Cigarettes and Suitcases’ are a blunt statement that Paul Dempsey and company aren’t here to mollycoddle the crowd with a bunch of hits and memories.
But there’s also a grab-bag from the back-catalogue. Pip’s crazed guitar the drives ‘Prick’, while a mass sing-along for ‘Monsters’ proves the lasting popularity of Echolalia. ‘Captain’ begins softly with Paul only accompanied by soft drumming, but it’s deceptive. Before long, Stef and then Pip join in and the intensity builds while everyone sings along.
‘Electricity’, which Paul introduces as “a song for anyone who’s every stuck their finger in a lightsocket”, zaps the brain with its climactic repeated refrain and lightning guitars. However, it’s a stunning cover of the Clash’s ‘Rock the Casbah’ that steals the limelight and perhaps garners the biggest audience cheer of the day.
Tight and sound-perfect from start to finish, Something for Kate’s hour-long set is one of the day’s highlights.
Back in the GW McLennan Theatre it’s packed to the rafters. Mogwai are in the midst of guiding an enraptured audience through a series of sonic scapes that seem to evoke the weather. Guitars, keys and drums squall like rain, echo like thunder and patter like a soft sunshower as the Scots eschew vocals to show off the exquisite beauty and range of instrumental rock. Unfortunately, the sonic fury concludes all too soon and we stream off to Grinspoon with our ears slightly battered but the better for the experience.
After more than 10 years round the traps, the Grinners still rock fucking hard. Frontman Phil Jamieson might have traded up to a more dapper jacket-and-tie look, but as he and his bandmates are still intent on burning through the eardrums with noise and attitude.
The latter half of their set reads like who’s who of Grinner’s singles: ‘Champion’s’ short sharp bass and thumping drums get the punters moshing all the way back, before morphing into an insane version of ‘More Than You Are’.If this wasn’t enough to create a frenzy of jumping, dancing and singing, ‘Just Ace’ does the trick. Phil tells everyone to enjoy it - apparently it’s the last time they’re playing it. ‘Chemical Heart’s’ awesome guitar keeps the mood going, and then the Grinner’s bring it on home with a storming rendition of ‘Black Friday’ to round out one of the tightest sets of Oz rock I’ve ever seen.
Sonic Youth emerge shortly after to treat us to a trademark blend of feedback, dissonance and cacophony. The emphasis leans towards tracks from their newest release Rather Ripped. Rather Ripped has been hailed for its accessibility - a more pop-leaning effort, with shorter, more melodic songs and minimal distortion. Live renditions are much more intense.
‘Incinerate’ has a gorgeous syrupy edge that’s the result of the addition of a second bassist to supplement Kim Gordon while Gordon’s voice is ten times more gravelly for ‘Reena’. ‘Do You Believe in Rapture’ swirls pensively with signature off-key strumming from Thurston Moore. The zen-like minimalism, coupled with Moore’s voice, is arresting. When he sings “Do you believe in a second chance?” it’s hard to believe he’s not singing about love, rather than slyly commenting on religious fundamentalism.
The softer, down-tempo ‘Turquiose Boy’ features some haunting guitars. There’s a brief mid-song adjournment for some sonic squalling before it returns to the theme and concludes. However, it’s a blast-furnace version of 1990 album Goo’s ‘Mote’ that features the New Yorker’s at their most dissonant. By the climax, Moore is scraping his guitar against the speaker stacks and along the front of the stage creating some overwhelming feedback. We all watch in something akin to awe.
The sleazy ‘100%’ makes an appearance to the delight of the crowd, who gleefully sing along with Moore while he chants: “I’ve been around the world a million times, and all you men are slime”. By comparison to everything else it feels remarkably straightlaced. The evening concludes with Lee Ronaldo and Moore trading ‘Schizophrenia’s’ melody back and forth with the ease of true rock veterans. Truly splendid.