Snakadaktal, Kilter, Rat & Co., Chiefs @ Howler, Melbourne (25/01/2014)
On January 25 the neon jungle-themed Howler band room housed what was probably the venue’s most appropriate line up to date. The sounds produced on Snakadaktal's Melbourne leg of The Sunset Tour seemed as if they were made for the fluorescence and nature-combining space.
First up was the modest and laid back Chiefs, who played a DJ set which built an atmosphere, heightening what was to come. Rat & Co followed suit with their dreamy, instrumental grooves, expanding the crowd with definite show-stealing potential. The band swung back and forth between psychedelic and more emotive vibes, at times incorporating a bit of both.
Kilter then put on a dramatic show as he played his energetic and rhythmically complex dance tracks. His tropical-tinged set garnered many cheers, especially when he at one point admitted he’d "fucked that one up", offering the audience a new London Grammar mix to make up for it.
As the night grew later, Snakadaktal took to the stage, looking exceptionally youthful but proving to be far beyond their age musically. The space was close to crammed by this time, and the band began with a wistful, atmospheric build leading into ‘Union’.
The sweet vocals of Phoebe Cockburn coupled with Sean Heathcliff’s more cutting sound worked together as harmoniously as they do on record. Despite Phoebe’s strong vocals, she almost whispered into the mic when it came time to speak about how grateful she was for everything.
The opening beat for ‘Hung On Tight’ brought on many cheers when the band teased at the song’s beginning. The crowd showed just as much enthusiasm as they chanted along to the ohs and heys of ‘Air’, after which Sean took the chance to offer his own humble thanks.
Snakadaktal brought things down for both ‘Ghost’ and ‘Sleep’. The first was mesmerizingly haunting with its stunning vocals and keys parts, while the second was more minimal at first, serving as a transition from intimate to all out.
‘Fall Underneath’ was without a doubt one of the crowd favourites, with both the band and audience grooving right through the summery track. A similar response came only when everyone sang along to the repetitive choruses of ‘Dance Bear’.
The band decided to end the show appropriately with ‘The Sun II’ and ‘The Sun III’, leaving the assurance of more things to come from the superb, although still young, five-piece.
Nathan Fioritti
First up was the modest and laid back Chiefs, who played a DJ set which built an atmosphere, heightening what was to come. Rat & Co followed suit with their dreamy, instrumental grooves, expanding the crowd with definite show-stealing potential. The band swung back and forth between psychedelic and more emotive vibes, at times incorporating a bit of both.
Kilter then put on a dramatic show as he played his energetic and rhythmically complex dance tracks. His tropical-tinged set garnered many cheers, especially when he at one point admitted he’d "fucked that one up", offering the audience a new London Grammar mix to make up for it.
As the night grew later, Snakadaktal took to the stage, looking exceptionally youthful but proving to be far beyond their age musically. The space was close to crammed by this time, and the band began with a wistful, atmospheric build leading into ‘Union’.
The sweet vocals of Phoebe Cockburn coupled with Sean Heathcliff’s more cutting sound worked together as harmoniously as they do on record. Despite Phoebe’s strong vocals, she almost whispered into the mic when it came time to speak about how grateful she was for everything.
The opening beat for ‘Hung On Tight’ brought on many cheers when the band teased at the song’s beginning. The crowd showed just as much enthusiasm as they chanted along to the ohs and heys of ‘Air’, after which Sean took the chance to offer his own humble thanks.
Snakadaktal brought things down for both ‘Ghost’ and ‘Sleep’. The first was mesmerizingly haunting with its stunning vocals and keys parts, while the second was more minimal at first, serving as a transition from intimate to all out.
‘Fall Underneath’ was without a doubt one of the crowd favourites, with both the band and audience grooving right through the summery track. A similar response came only when everyone sang along to the repetitive choruses of ‘Dance Bear’.
The band decided to end the show appropriately with ‘The Sun II’ and ‘The Sun III’, leaving the assurance of more things to come from the superb, although still young, five-piece.
Nathan Fioritti