Phoenix
Festival Hall, Melbourne
Friday 5th March 2010

At this moment in time, French pop geniuses Phoenix may be the most perfect band in the world. Tonight the core four-piece of Thomas Mars (vocals) Deck D'Arcy (bass) Laurent 'Branco' Brancowitz (guitar) and Christian Mazzalai (guitar), are beefed up by touring session guys in keyboardist Robin Coudert and the tremendously fit Swiss drummer Thomas Hedlund. Together, Phoenix walk the tight-rope between perfect pop ('Lisztomania'), shameless '80s nostalgia ('Too Young') stadium-filling rock ('Rome') epic prog rock ('Love Like A Sunset Pts I and II') and disco-funk ('If I Ever Feel Better') with such confidence, panache, love and fun, it's like they invented the whole damn thing.

Speaking to Thomas Mars and Laurent Brancowitz before the show today (and seen in our upcoming video interview), the duo reflected that Australia was one of the first territories in the world to embrace Phoenix. Tonight - though maybe it's just the bands regular ability to connect with their audience - Phoenix seem genuinely and deeply moved by our willingness to go batshit crazy. From the opening tinkle of 'Lisztomania', the crowd begin pogoing as one, hands in the air, oozing pure joy into this silly, wide venue. From there the band move through a selection of songs that would be another band's encore: 'It's Never Been Like That', 'Lasso', 'Run Run Run', 'Fences' and deeper Wolfgang Amadeus cut 'Girlfriend'.

Frontman Thomas Mars is in fine voice, throwing himself into the front row for 'Lasso' and somehow pulling focus in a band whose every member is of interest to watch. Bassist Deck D'Arcy is the most staid, holding down the groove and providing the majority of flawless back-up vocals. (The kind which, when the band played SNL in America, sparked  internet speculation that the group mimed. Watching them tonight it's easy to see why - their vocal ability is uncanny). Guitarists and brothers Brancowitz and Mazzalai smile constantly, whirling delicately around their guitars, until really getting their chance to mug during epic Wolfgang... centrepiece 'Love Like A Sunset (Pts I and II)'. During which Mars lies on the floor for a good 10 minutes as lasers draw out the architecture of the amps and drums on stage, the first moment that the band's high-tech light show really springs to life. From there the guitarists chase spotlights, before the music calms in the darkness and they plink out a lovely little cohesive medley, until the band reconvenes for the blazing closing portion of 'Pt II'

From here the light show goes nuts. Think Radiohead, approaching Daft Punk kind of stuff. 'Napolean Says' from 2006's It's Never Been Like That hits hard, Union's (2000) 'Too Young' is gorgeous, and 'Consolation Prizes' brings the pogoing frenzy to a new height. But it's Wolfgang's emotional core of 'Rome' that is the night's true, joyous this-band-could-be-U2-if-they-really-wanted-to moment. A beautifully unwinding, slow build, somehow drawing from the aforementioned pop stadium giants and yet referencing the abilities of the best of indie, dance, rock and anything else you care to think of losing your inhibitions to in under five minutes. By the mid section breakdown, the crowd is drowning out Mars, chanting the words in such a fashion that the band looks deeply shocked. Masterfully approaching the release of its end coda, the synths kick to life, Hedlund pounds his kit and the band splinter apart to take in the mass of people chanting 'Rome Rome Rome Rome Rome' back at them like we're all plugged into the same socket. A true eye-watering, butterflies-in-the-stomach moment.

Mars and Mazzalai return to the stage in a hail of noise for a singalong over 'Everything is Everything' ("Wow", says Mars. "They don't even sing along like this in France"), a cover of Air's 'Playground Love', before the full band reenters for a disgustingly slinky 'If I Ever Feel Better'. Then the lights darken, '1901' is spelled out in lights across the four core band members, and the crowd doesn't stop hyperventilating until Mars runs around to the back of the venue to sing in the crowd from the lower bleachers. Then we all pass out and they're gone. Perfection.

(Pics: Tim O'Connor)