San Cisco @ Badlands Bar
w/ Haircare
Friday, December 6, 2019
Fremantle locals San Cisco finished up their Skin tour Friday night at Badlands Bar with a silky, groove inducing sold out show. With their new track Skin nestled between old favourites and unreleased singles, the set was an exciting look into what we can expect from the band leading into their fourth studio album set to be released in 2020.
Setting the tone for the night were Perth locals Haircare. The four-piece indie pop band were greeted by a screaming crowd showing they are clearly loved here in Perth. Teasing an unreleased song and showcasing their current hits, Haircare warmed the crowd right up. It’s always exciting to see an up and coming local outfit so comfortable and magnetic on stage, and this group were exactly that.
The venue was buzzing with family, friends and diehard fans as San Cisco were welcomed by a screaming audience and kicked the night off with 2012 San Cisco album opener Beach before heading into About You. This had the audience singing along with frontman Jordi Davieson who was clearly immersed in the set, throwing down sensual moves to match his smooth and impressive vocals.
The audience erupted with the first chords of last album The Water’s hit track Hey, Did I Do You Wrong? A captivated crowd danced around to the nostalgic and summery tune. With drummer Scarlett Stevens and guitarist Joshua Biondillo included in vocals, it was a rare moment of interaction between them and the adoring crowd.
With Davieson momentarily on keyboard, an extended intro was brought to life for the tour’s namesake and latest release Skin. Wailing guitars dominated the dreamy backing ensuring this live rendition was a flawless showcase of the progression of San Cisco. The obvious crowd favourite filled the room with each line screamed back at the grinning bandmates. Followed by older favourites including The Distance and Awkward, the frontman expressed the nerves, and excitement, involved in playing a hometown show. His energy and clear love for performance was unwavering throughout each track.
A planned encore saw the band leave the stage without playing fan favourites before returning a short time later with just Davieson and an acoustic guitar. The set was given a stripped back and down to earth moment as he shared an unreleased track centred around a past heartbreak and one’s flaws. Soon after, the band joined him and performed Fred Astaire and Too Much Time Together to round out their one hour set.
The performance seemed somewhat over-rehearsed for what was expected to be a relaxed hometown show, with less interest than you might expect in fully connecting with the crowd in any unique way. While Davieson put on an exciting performance, Stevens and Biondillo showed little interaction or enthusiasm with the excited crowd. Musically, the set was a glimpse into the sonic direction from San Cisco heading into 2020 as well as a celebration of the trio’s past hits.
Words and photos by
AMBER LILLEY
