!!!
Friday 6th June
Prince of Wales Bandroom
"We heard about Melbourne!"
Whether it was the notoriously debauched OneLove crowd, the goodwill generated from their blistering Golden Plains 07 performance, or just the moon, the dense pit of humans come to enjoy Brooklyn band !!! tonight were out of control. Long sold out, people clamoured, caroused and cajoled like it was Pink Flamingo time all over again. So when the band - party starters in a bottle - hit the stage to the opening strains of slow-burner 'Yadnus', both crowd and band erupted in perfect unison.
Put simply this show was euphoric. The band - consisting of drums, synths, guitar, bass, and percussion - seem perfectly tuned to deliver their heart-starting message. In a way they're similar to other "multi-instrumental" bands The Arcade Fire and The Polyphonic Spree; when every band member on stage is hellbent on encouraging participation it's an easy, subconscious transition for the crowd. Staying mostly on their blog list-topping Myth Takes record of 07, the band were a tightly oiled, adrenalin dripping machine. Chained to their instruments, they left plenty of room for main vocalist Nic Offer to manhandle the spotlight. A skinny, gyrating, chicken-dancing - and endearingly paunchy - dervish of a dude, Offer operates not so much a singer as a "vibe" man. He pumps and baits his crowd effortlessly, from every inch of the stage, pausing only to shimmy or pout at the front row. Somehow it never comes off as arrogant or convoluted, but rather thrilling and fun. If Jagger were into P-Funk, Offer is him.
And just when he needs the rare lift, co-vocalist Shannon Funchess is there to provide. The frontman might have sex in his moves but it's Funchess who has it in her voice. Though she sang on Myth Takes Funchess is only recently a full time addition to the band, replacing vocalist John Pugh who left last year to pursue his Free Blood project. His loss is the bands massive gain. Where Pugh sang middling falsetto, Fuccnhess belts out huge, raw soul singing. Where Pugh mirrored and often ended up difusing Offer's epilieptic hipster stylings Funchess compliments him perfectly, adding a new dimension - and range - to the bands possibilities.
(Pics: Kristy Lee)