Flyrite
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Smrts were up first with their thoughtful and almost surf-rock sound. Their evolving and well paced instrumental style provided a perfect opening to the evening. Health Legend were up next and things took a turn for the heavy as rounds of coarse vocals and high paced instrumentation hit the crowd at dangerous speeds.
The devilishly alluring band known as FAIM were up next to the smash the room. Packing a ridiculous quantity of energy personified in front man Noah Skape, FAIM were relentless. Their music and performance style combines pop, punk, theatre and pure sexual exuberance in such a way that it’s impossible to draw your eyes away from their writhing and organic energy. FAIM are a great example of the indelible truth of live music; the more sweat and less clothing on the performers’ persons, the greater the show.
Gracing us with their presence all the way from Queensland were the relatively laid back Tape/Off. Packing a gnarly stoner blues kind of sound, Tape/Off built energy through mellow progression, punky breakdowns and waves of resonating feedback. While the vocals could be a little loose at time, there was a truth and authenticity to their entire performance which made for a worthy experience.
The pace was seriously relaxed by the next outfit, The Leap Year. These boys were packing a full sound built on melodic vibes with unusual rhythms. When they did lift the pace, it was explosive and the music was carried well by superlative use of effects and a powerful voice from the lead singer.
Fall Electric were up next for the penultimate set of the night. This group made perfect use of the sonic space with well measured and mixed use of all instruments, each one working it’s space in the spectrum. Bluesy tones and thoughtful songwriting told a real story while measured use of samples and synths created a nostalgic and whimsical feeling. The cello was outrageously beautiful and brought the sound together in such a way that the soul felt full and satisfied just to listen.
The final band of the night were the magnificent French Rockets. This music was really superb, building layers and layers of sound into beautifully psychedelic organisms, pulling the listener gently along for the ride. The interplay between the musicians was reminiscent of the jam bands of old, yet the precision and professionalism was vivid and verged on perfection.
Hats off to Gun Fever for putting together this fantastic night. The feeling was good, the crowd was thriving and each band wove their own little piece of magic into the tapestry. On a day when people are busy losing themselves to booze and blinkered national pride, this was a party purely about loving the music and each other.
JAMES HANLON
