Eskimo Joe, Pluto Jonze @ The Forum, Melbourne (19/10/2013)
Upon first entering the majestic Forum Theatre during support act Pluto Jonze’s set, I find myself somewhat skeptical that an Eskimo Joe show still has the power to pull a large crowd.
The audience is sparse and there is minimal enthusiasm for these young, bluesy pub-rockers who’ve been lucky enough to score a support role to a veteran rock band. Pluto Jonze remind me of a more polished, less instinctive Vasco Era.
The audience demographic, waiting patiently and politely for Eskimo Joe, is predominantly Gen-X or older, illustrating that the classic rock band may indeed be a format of the past.
However, as the changeover occurs and the stage is set for the headliners, the room quickly fills up. The audience may be tame, but there is no lack of excitement. Eskimo Joe may not be garnering many new, youthful fans with their recent release Wastelands, but they certainly have not lost any of their faithful, enduring audience.
Just two songs in, Eskimo Joe have given the impression of an exceptionally well-practiced and professional band. Years of rehearsal, performing, touring, successes and failures have clearly blessed Eskimo Joe with the power of experience since their humble beginnings in Fremantle more than fifteen years ago.
The band, dressed sharply in bow ties, white shirts, vests and suit jackets, are a band of adults. Their refined image and lack of performance spontaneity may not be appealing to a young crowd who look for controversy and impulsiveness in a performer. However, perhaps this predictability is what the 30+ crowd want, and if so, they'e duly rewarded by the rock band who seem to be content with what they have evolved into – a pop band for the oldies.
The downside of Eskimo Joe’s current status is notable at this performance. Quite endearingly, lead singer Kav Temperley acknowledges to the Forum crowd that they don’t want to play too many new songs from their Wastelands album as they wish not to annoy their paying fans. Indeed, during the quiet spells of their new tracks such as the more electronic sounding Got What You Need, the crowd can be heard murmuring in conversation, highlighting that the audience is less engaged with Eskimo Joe’s attempt at recreating their sound. However, the onstage banter between Temperley and his fellow band members, Joel Quartermain and Stuart MacLeod, is relaxed and unassuming, and this acknowledgement of where their popularity lies is humbling.
Nevertheless, there is an overall air of happiness and satisfaction from the crowd. Covers of the Rolling Stones’s You Can’t Always Get What You Want and Bill Wither’s Ain’t No Sunshine as bridging tracks are moments that provide pure joy, as unison clapping and singing from the crowd ensued.
The sporadic inclusion of favourite Eskimo Joe songs such as Sarah, A Song is a City, New York and Smoke are certainly enough to quench the thirst of this faithful audience. Foreign Land’s combination of grungy guitars and its famous Turkish snake-charmer riff was undoubtedly one of the highlight tracks of the evening.
From the Sea was provided to the audience as the final encore song and with Temperley dressed impressively in a neon-skeleton suit, it was the perfect ending for the show. Once again, Eskimo Joe seemed to display an experienced understanding of performing, offering just that little bit more energy and excitement to the crowd awaiting an impressive encore.
These older tracks seemed not only to excite the crowd more, but the band itself seemed to gain unbridled energy and precision onstage with the performance of these tracks. The performers are perhaps just as nostalgic as their fans about their earlier albums and popularity.
Temperley’s reflective storytelling during song changeovers regarding past writing and performing with bands such as Little Birdy, End of Fashion, The Sleepy Jackson and Gyroscope in Western Australia definitely highlights this nostalgia of a golden time in Australian rock music.
Whether or not there is hope for Wastelands, there is simply nothing negative to say about Eskimo Joe’s professionalism, enthusiasm and pure talent in performance. The fact that the band seems to be aware of their own mortality for new music release is perhaps not a weakness, if they remain aware of what their true audience wants from them.
To have made it to ‘veteran’ status is a beautiful thing in popular music. Eskimo Joe may not be gaining many new fans, but with performances like this, and an array of quality music in their catalogue, they are certainly unlikely to lose any.
Bianca White
The audience is sparse and there is minimal enthusiasm for these young, bluesy pub-rockers who’ve been lucky enough to score a support role to a veteran rock band. Pluto Jonze remind me of a more polished, less instinctive Vasco Era.
The audience demographic, waiting patiently and politely for Eskimo Joe, is predominantly Gen-X or older, illustrating that the classic rock band may indeed be a format of the past.
However, as the changeover occurs and the stage is set for the headliners, the room quickly fills up. The audience may be tame, but there is no lack of excitement. Eskimo Joe may not be garnering many new, youthful fans with their recent release Wastelands, but they certainly have not lost any of their faithful, enduring audience.
Just two songs in, Eskimo Joe have given the impression of an exceptionally well-practiced and professional band. Years of rehearsal, performing, touring, successes and failures have clearly blessed Eskimo Joe with the power of experience since their humble beginnings in Fremantle more than fifteen years ago.
The band, dressed sharply in bow ties, white shirts, vests and suit jackets, are a band of adults. Their refined image and lack of performance spontaneity may not be appealing to a young crowd who look for controversy and impulsiveness in a performer. However, perhaps this predictability is what the 30+ crowd want, and if so, they'e duly rewarded by the rock band who seem to be content with what they have evolved into – a pop band for the oldies.
The downside of Eskimo Joe’s current status is notable at this performance. Quite endearingly, lead singer Kav Temperley acknowledges to the Forum crowd that they don’t want to play too many new songs from their Wastelands album as they wish not to annoy their paying fans. Indeed, during the quiet spells of their new tracks such as the more electronic sounding Got What You Need, the crowd can be heard murmuring in conversation, highlighting that the audience is less engaged with Eskimo Joe’s attempt at recreating their sound. However, the onstage banter between Temperley and his fellow band members, Joel Quartermain and Stuart MacLeod, is relaxed and unassuming, and this acknowledgement of where their popularity lies is humbling.
Nevertheless, there is an overall air of happiness and satisfaction from the crowd. Covers of the Rolling Stones’s You Can’t Always Get What You Want and Bill Wither’s Ain’t No Sunshine as bridging tracks are moments that provide pure joy, as unison clapping and singing from the crowd ensued.
The sporadic inclusion of favourite Eskimo Joe songs such as Sarah, A Song is a City, New York and Smoke are certainly enough to quench the thirst of this faithful audience. Foreign Land’s combination of grungy guitars and its famous Turkish snake-charmer riff was undoubtedly one of the highlight tracks of the evening.
From the Sea was provided to the audience as the final encore song and with Temperley dressed impressively in a neon-skeleton suit, it was the perfect ending for the show. Once again, Eskimo Joe seemed to display an experienced understanding of performing, offering just that little bit more energy and excitement to the crowd awaiting an impressive encore.
These older tracks seemed not only to excite the crowd more, but the band itself seemed to gain unbridled energy and precision onstage with the performance of these tracks. The performers are perhaps just as nostalgic as their fans about their earlier albums and popularity.
Temperley’s reflective storytelling during song changeovers regarding past writing and performing with bands such as Little Birdy, End of Fashion, The Sleepy Jackson and Gyroscope in Western Australia definitely highlights this nostalgia of a golden time in Australian rock music.
Whether or not there is hope for Wastelands, there is simply nothing negative to say about Eskimo Joe’s professionalism, enthusiasm and pure talent in performance. The fact that the band seems to be aware of their own mortality for new music release is perhaps not a weakness, if they remain aware of what their true audience wants from them.
To have made it to ‘veteran’ status is a beautiful thing in popular music. Eskimo Joe may not be gaining many new fans, but with performances like this, and an array of quality music in their catalogue, they are certainly unlikely to lose any.
Bianca White