Segue Safari @ The Bird
with Regular Boys, Lana Rothnie, Ryan Beno
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Even on a cold night in winter, The Bird does not fail to draw a crowd. Saturday night for Segue Safari’s Salutations EP launch was no different. The place was bustling with people who were there for a sole purpose – to engage with the bands.
Ryan Beno started off proceedings with a surrealist set encompassing dream pop, jazz, rock instrumentation and space rock. Ryan Beno are an interesting type; they are at their core experimental and they obviously hold originality in high regard, but their sound is binded with poppy meldoies that come together to transfix and hypnotise the audience. They use space and tone beautifully to create texture and colour, all rather poetically done on Saturday night.
Next up was Lana Rothnie, Lana’s individualist shows have gained momentum of late and even saw her opening for Garreth Liddiard. Her style and sound is unique, creating a universe of impressionistic and ingenious sounds that tinker and swell, all via a modest and vulnerable approach. It didn’t take long until it had the crowds intrigued, slowly drawn in by the soulful and abstract swishes and vibrations and the captivating woman creating it all.
Regular Boys saw a change in pace with an onslaught of guitar and a hint of Australiana indie. The band members hail from other popular Perth bands, Hideous Sun Demon and Kitchen People and it showed; they delivered a confident and seamless set that had the crowd dancing and swaying almost immediately. All five band members were squeezed onto the stage for a high energy set of songs full of jangly head boppers and bygone licks. Australia is producing a slide of summer-afternoon garage indie bands that put an emphasis on Australian euphemism and accent, Regular Boys fit into this mould and add some difference with unexpected melodic turns, they doing it all with a loveable charm, making for music and a live show that is impossible not to like.
Finally, it was time for the main show – Segue Safari. Segue are a different bread from the rest of the bands that played, namely because their style is more classic and broad, not as characterised. They gravitate towards classic indie rock with hints of ska and folk and take inspiration from the classic power houses of music like David Bowie, The Strokes and Talking Heads.
Segue Safari stand out as a band in Perth in part because of their witty and observational lyricism. Whilst there is a trend of music coming out with deceptively simple lyrics, not many pull it off in such the way that Segue do though, perhaps by missing the deceptively part and just going straight to simple. But Segue understand this, they know how to write a tune that instantly identifies but also keeps a wry smile on your face for longer than a few minutes, this is thanks to a cut above cleverness and insight which is exemplified in lines like “All the voices in my head never ask if I’m okay”.
On Saturday night the band played like old friends, brought together by a love of music but who all bring their own unique point of difference, working to create a sound that, whilst classic, is also their own. Brought home by lead singer Jeremy Segal’s sweet vocal work and stage presence, they shun antics and trends and make music the sole focus of their shows.
Segue Safari delivered a live performance that was first class, a perfectly collaborative effort that was rid of ostentatious BS and full of straight up good old fashion musical integrity. And musical integrity is something they have in truck loads, they flew through a set of crackers like Colour TV, Salutations, Friends, and Conversations. For such a slew of ohrwurms under the belt of a band that are barely in their 20’s, it leaves you in awe of what they have achieved and super excited for what is to come.
Segue Safari are one of Perth’s premier bands, and if you haven’t given them a listen or seen them live, you are in for an absolute treat.
LARA FOX
Photo by Ruth Segal
