Review: In The Pines 2023 at Somerville Auditorium

In The Pines 2023 at Somerville Auditorium
Sunday, April 30, 2023

One of the local music highlights of each calendar year, RTRFM’s In The Pines, celebrated 30 years on Sunday. Usually a great place to sample a day of fast rising newcomers, the Anniversary event managed to get some more seasoned folk to make their way back to the stages, and they couldn’t have picked a better day for it.

Spice World are all over the airwaves at RTRFM at the moment. Having formed as a one off and recording an album by stealth, it now appears that they are destined to become a going concern. All five members of the band sing on each of the tunes with off kilter DIY harmonies firming Spice World as Perth’s greatest exponents of dole-core. New songs were thrown amongst those from the debut There Is No “I” In Spice World, with each being lapped up by the growing crowd. Despite some of their members living interstate, let's hope for more regular outings from one of the better local acts to surface in the past few years.

Before this weekend, Split Seconds hadn’t played a show in about seven years, but you wouldn’t have known it if they didn’t tell you. To say that they were tight and, on the money, would be an understatement. They have always been blessed with a crafty songwriter with one of the easiest voices to come out of this town, a cracking ear for a melody and a band that know exactly where the light and shade should be. The band invited a clearly excited Angie Colman on stage to join them in singing Maiden Name (thanks to her cover of the tune on RTR a week or so earlier), as well as working through songs from both their albums. With the band suggesting that the members had made more children than songs since their last time on stage, there was still plenty of youthful charm in tracks such as Bed Down and Relocation Blues. It was a pristine set from a much missed Perth favourite.

Well established duo Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse had earlier in the day given a stirring Welcome to Country and returned to the stage to play a set of their own songs. It’s been a big couple of years for the pair who have written and performed an opera in Noongar language and shared their tales through music workshops to students. It's hard to imagine a stage where they wouldn’t be comfortable and they again delivered an uplifting half hour in Williams' native tongue for those lucky enough to have been at In The Pines this year.

Young, quirky and enthusiastic as always, Smol Fish crammed a set of well-honed tunes into their short set. Clancy Davidson explained that they were experimenting with two guitars instead of one, which meant that her trusty Danelectro didn’t get as much of an airing as usual. Sad Girl Summer sounded fresh even though it has been a radio staple for some time. Davidson moved to bass while Hannah Coakley took lead for a couple of songs as they spruiked their single launch this coming weekend. There was an absence of crowd favourite Like A Lemon, but it was only a matter of time before Smol Fish had too many quality tunes to pack into half an hour.

Reforming after a close to a couple of decades and after celebrating the re-issue of the album Midhaven, Humbug were clearly delighted to be at In The Pines. Having printed up some new merch for the weekend they directed all to the merch stand for those who had worn out their t-shirt many washes ago. Hitting a similar time slot to when they played In The Pines decades ago, the band showed why they were popular at the turn of the decade. Their brand of guitar pop with a hint of shoegaze has aged better than some, albeit the volume was off the charts for a Sunday afternoon amongst the trees.

Rabbit Island was up next and delivered a laid back set that was perfectly timed in the mid afternoon sun. Amber Fresh moved between guitar and keyboard as she gave her bedroom pop some space in the sunshine. With a voice that can at times be a whisper, Fresh is as adept at children’s songs as she is at spacious lo-fi ruminations. The highlight of the set was a lengthy version of Adam’s Song, which is as mesmerising as ever almost a decade after its release. Amber Fresh appeared on stage in a velvet dress whilst sporting a well worn truckers cap … and that’s exactly what her songs sound like.

Rachel Dease appears more often in theatres and auditoriums these days than in the pubs where her bands like Schvendes had such a strong following. The world-renowned composer has recently released Hymns For End Times and gave a performance that was as haunting as that title suggests. Switching between keyboards and autoharp but always with her powerhouse voice at the fore, Dease gave a performance that showed off her stature as one of this city’s most unique and revered acts. During her set there was very little chatter or movement from the crowd. Rachel Dease spun her web and many were hooked until the final note.

The Kill Devil Hills may be synonymous with the Fremantle vibe but their earthy brand of rock and roll works up the river too. Brendan Humphries led his troops through a solid set of road worn tunes that showcased why they sell out most rooms that they make their way in to. Some of the finest musicians in this town have made their way through The Kill Devil Hills in one incarnation or another so you know you are always going to get a quality set from the gruff voiced Humphries and his cohorts.

Local Noongar man and rapper Flewnt brought his forum for truth telling through his set of hip-hop. Brought up in a politically strong family, Flewnt doesn’t shy away from the hard truths when he sings about culture. While sharing a message with fine spirit he drew on the help of members of Downsyde as he walked people through an up tempo and danceable conveyance of his truth. With a polished stage presence, clear voice and likeable beats, Flewnt made new fans and nourished his already growing following.

Jetting in from Melbourne for a rare live performance, Dave Johnstone from Ammonia showed why the nineties act came to shape an era in Perth’s music history with hits like Drugs sounding as fresh and catchy as ever.

A collision of powerhouse musicians, Grievous Bodily Calm‘s set was brimming with all kinds of musical treats. With a whirlwind blend of uptempo jazz and adventurous rhythms, there was never a dull moment.

Things took a smooth turn with Web Rumors ex Machina combining layers of synths with swooning saxophone melodies for an eighties-tinged groove session.

Datura4, led by local legend Dom Mariani, powered through a set of high-octane boogie, with recent single Going Back to Hoonsville kicking the evening into top gear.

Overall In The Pines’ 30th Anniversary celebration more than lived up to the occasion. With a mix of new and familiar faces across multiple genres throughout the day, and uncharacteristically perfect weather, it reaffirmed what a talented music scene and supportive community we are fortunate to have here in Western Australia.

CHRIS HAVERCROFT

Photos by Linda Dunjey