Papa Vs Pretty, Redcoats, Blonde on Blonde @ X&Y Bar, Brisbane (01/07/2011)
There was a sense of heightened anticipation in the air as Brisbane punters arrived at the 300 capacity X and Y Bar to see one of the breakout acts of 2011, Sydney band Papa Vs Pretty. Having recently been the feature album on Triple J with their much hyped debut United in Isolation, the band were riding high on a wave of success and this was their first full national tour.
The first band for the night was Brisbane locals Blonde on Blonde. The five piece are the house band for the venue and played an energetic set to the first 50 or so people to arrive. The group sounded like a mixture of The Kills and Queens of the Stone Age with locals being shared by the male guitarist and female percussionist. They sounded tight and had some enjoyable songs and the crowd seemed appreciative.
By 8:50, the crowd had dramatically increased in size and Red Coats took to the stage in front of an almost capacity crowd. It was obvious from the start that at least part of the crowd were avid fans of the group, with quite of number of people singing and moshing. The Melbourne group sounded awesome and had an experimental rock vibe similar to The Mars Volta. The shining light was Emilio Mercuri whose vocals were reminiscent of Andrew Stockdale from Wolfmother, powerful and full of energy. Finishing on Triple J favourite Dreamshaker, the band had a great stage presence and are one’s to watch on the Australian rock scene in the future.
The crowd grew restless during the wait for Papa Vs Pretty but as 10pm rolled by, the three piece took to the stage. Playing through the majority of their album, they sounded first-class and are clearly a well-rehearsed band. Singer and guitarist Thomas Rawle was in fine form, belting out the lyrics and jumping all around the stage during the instrumental sections. After resolving some early bass issues, they played through favourites such as Life’s Got a Hold on Me and One of the Animals. Every member of the group is barely 20 years old, but if you closed your eyes you would think they are a seasoned band with years of experience behind them and with drummer Tom Myers and bassist Angus Gardiner sharing backing vocals, they produced a rich and full sound. There was also great banter between the three with Rawle commenting on how his excessive sweat was getting in his eyes and therefore it might look strange if he was squinting or tilting his head during a song and Myers asking the crowd to pose for a photo for their tour diary.
For a band with only their debut and a few EPs behind them, playing for a full hour was an impressive effort. The band quickly came back on for an encore, playing through a rarely played song from one of their early EPs. Myers then told the crowd they were the best of the tour so far, and as a special treat, asked them if they would prefer to hear their cover of Angus and Julia Stone’s Big Jet Plane that they recently performed at the APRA Awards or one of their own songs. The large majority of the crowd, surprisingly to the band, voted in favour of the original song and the band finished off a memorable gig with an extended rock out.
This gig showcased the immense potential of some of Australia’s best upcoming bands and showed they all will be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Red Coats seem destined to be one Australia’s future premier rock bands and Papa Vs Pretty are sure to become this country’s next indie rock success story.
Sebastian Betten
The first band for the night was Brisbane locals Blonde on Blonde. The five piece are the house band for the venue and played an energetic set to the first 50 or so people to arrive. The group sounded like a mixture of The Kills and Queens of the Stone Age with locals being shared by the male guitarist and female percussionist. They sounded tight and had some enjoyable songs and the crowd seemed appreciative.
By 8:50, the crowd had dramatically increased in size and Red Coats took to the stage in front of an almost capacity crowd. It was obvious from the start that at least part of the crowd were avid fans of the group, with quite of number of people singing and moshing. The Melbourne group sounded awesome and had an experimental rock vibe similar to The Mars Volta. The shining light was Emilio Mercuri whose vocals were reminiscent of Andrew Stockdale from Wolfmother, powerful and full of energy. Finishing on Triple J favourite Dreamshaker, the band had a great stage presence and are one’s to watch on the Australian rock scene in the future.
The crowd grew restless during the wait for Papa Vs Pretty but as 10pm rolled by, the three piece took to the stage. Playing through the majority of their album, they sounded first-class and are clearly a well-rehearsed band. Singer and guitarist Thomas Rawle was in fine form, belting out the lyrics and jumping all around the stage during the instrumental sections. After resolving some early bass issues, they played through favourites such as Life’s Got a Hold on Me and One of the Animals. Every member of the group is barely 20 years old, but if you closed your eyes you would think they are a seasoned band with years of experience behind them and with drummer Tom Myers and bassist Angus Gardiner sharing backing vocals, they produced a rich and full sound. There was also great banter between the three with Rawle commenting on how his excessive sweat was getting in his eyes and therefore it might look strange if he was squinting or tilting his head during a song and Myers asking the crowd to pose for a photo for their tour diary.
For a band with only their debut and a few EPs behind them, playing for a full hour was an impressive effort. The band quickly came back on for an encore, playing through a rarely played song from one of their early EPs. Myers then told the crowd they were the best of the tour so far, and as a special treat, asked them if they would prefer to hear their cover of Angus and Julia Stone’s Big Jet Plane that they recently performed at the APRA Awards or one of their own songs. The large majority of the crowd, surprisingly to the band, voted in favour of the original song and the band finished off a memorable gig with an extended rock out.
This gig showcased the immense potential of some of Australia’s best upcoming bands and showed they all will be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Red Coats seem destined to be one Australia’s future premier rock bands and Papa Vs Pretty are sure to become this country’s next indie rock success story.
Sebastian Betten