Doctopus/Leure
Metropolis Fremantle
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Opening the night for business were the curious and creative sounds of Leure, aka Ash Hendriks. Her stunning vocals and airy yet crisp synthetic textures were a mellow introduction to the event. The use of heavily processed white noise and ambient sounds were a wonderful example of thoughtful electronic production that translated well into a live performance.
A distinct change of pace came next in the form of Doctopus. There is something hugely affable about the presence, style and music of these three awesome lads. A lo-fi yet generally up tempo affair, from above the fuzzed out low end and vocal section the lead guitar cut through the mix with a delicious precision that had the crowd wobbling to and fro.
From the murky depths rose the powerhouse of international acclaim that is Pond. The music of Pond is fantastically entertaining, but the ground on which they stand has been well covered over time. Their music takes broad strokes from some the finest psychedelic music of human history: Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull to name a few. Parallels aside, Pond appear able to fashion perfection from amongst chaos. The minimal synthetic sounds and well considered tones merge and interpolate with a smoothness that moves both body and mind. Energy was built and increased with orgasmic intensity in a subtle series of inclines and plateau’s that would come crashing back down to earth just as climax was reached. The wailing vocals and ever-present shape pulling from frontman Nick Allbrook was an apt embodiment of the bands style and vibe, but borrowed Robert Plant vocal routines were sometimes a little too obvious for a generation that demands newness.
Whether due to a drought of the required substances, or perhaps just due to it being a Thursday night, the pulsating and powerful experience created by Pond just didn’t seem to make the crowd surge how it should. The combined intake of Pond is likely to make Keith Richards seem sober in comparison, but this only seems to add to the ‘kings of the party’ mystique and musical awareness that had the venue packed to the brim with hippies and rockers alike. With a sound and a fanbase that will continue to grow and gain numbers the world over, Pond seem to have no intention of getting off the wave. Just follow the ripples.
JAMES HANLON
Photo by Rachael Barrett
