Tegan and Sara @ The Palais Theatre, Melbourne (02/05/2013)
It was a chilly night in Melbourne as Tegan and Sara’s predominantly female crowd flocked to the Palais Theatre in St Kilda. After not seeing the kooky twins in Australia since 2010, the excitement could be felt amongst the crowd as we all piled inside and took our seats.
We were all pretty keen to see what the twins would bring to the stage after the release of Heartthrob in January this year. I have to admit, I was a little sceptical about tonight’s show and what songs would be thrown our way. Since being a mad fan since 2006, I found myself grunting a little when the pop saturated Closer was released as the girl’s’ newest single. I am happy to say though, tonight really changed my mind.
First up for the night were synth-pop band Clubfeet, an excellent choice whose style complimented the new direction Tegan and Sara have taken this year.
Originally hailing from Cape Town South Africa, the five piece band has continued to develop their music career within Melbourne Victoria. It was clear from their performance that these boys love what they do. We were constantly entertained with funky dance moves and radical tambourine skills – clearly the boys were happy to celebrate the release of their most recent album Heirs And Graces.
At one point I wanted to join in and pretend I was in a club for a few moments. This was the kind of feel Clubfeet emitted and it seemed apparent the boys wanted us to jump around like sweaty maniacs. Unfortunately, the venue choice was a little questionable. Perhaps a greater response from the crowd would have been given had they been able to stand up and lubricate their gullets. Being seated for such lively music was definitely a challenge.
After having been gobsmacked by the beautiful sounds Clubfeet have created using their fancy voice synthesisers and noise pad, Triple J Unearthed artist Chela hopped on stage to join the band in singing their popular new single Heartbreak. The chemistry these guys have soon became clear, as she slotted right in with that smooth feel the band had about them.
As the clock struck 8.30pm, the charismatic Tegan and Sara walked on stage and waved to fans. The screams that were heard pierced my ears! These Canadians certainly have some passionate fans – that’s for damn sure. Girls could be seen fanning themselves and holding each other in excitement. It was overly amusing.
Opening the night with newer songs Drove Me Wild, I’m Not Your Hero and Goodbye Goodbye, the girls made it clear that the bigger response to their newer songs meant more old songs would be played. Clearly they were aware of our love for the older tunes too, which was nice. The overly catchy Back In Your Head brought us to our feet, leaving us to remember the classic 2007 album, The Con. The crowd went crazy at this point, most singing the tune word for word.
Given the electro pop direction the girls have taken this year with Hearthrob, it was interesting to hear different versions of songs from the past. Arrow from the 2009 album SaintHood was reinvented as a pop heavy, electro dance version that gave a refreshing twist to the album’s introduction track. There was a definite dance vibe about tonight and my sceptical outlook on Heartthrob began to change. A definite favourite had to be Shock To Your System, beginning with eerie drone noises and a repetitive snare drum that created a real military vibe. This really added to the drama of the song and that extra ‘oomph’ every live show needs. At one point the band rocked out so hard the drum kit broke. Rockin’.
Something Tegan and Sara do really well is portray the emotions of their songs – I’m talking clenched fists, closed eyes and the kind of body language that makes you go ‘Woah, this is some serious shit.’ It was a pleasure to watch and I couldn’t help but feel involved.
As the night began to wind down, the sisters left the stage with the band, returning as a three piece with one acoustic guitar. It was a real treat hearing the girls play alone after a night of loud electronic noises. We really appreciated the fact they took the time to go back to their softer roots for a while. Those who appreciate the tune Call It Off understand that all this song needs is an acoustic guitar and some sweet, sweet lovin’. This is exactly what we were given and it was brilliant.
The absolute highlight of the encore had to be the medley. Imagine all of your favourite old school Tegan and Sara songs meshed into one. I’m talking Superstar, Monday, Monday, Monday, My Number and many, many more. We were gobsmacked. I began to feel like an idiot for ever turning my back on the wonderful duo. Hopefully next time the girls play at a venue we can move around in, particularly if they continue with their newfound electronic style.
Kim Tedge
@Kimmers90
We were all pretty keen to see what the twins would bring to the stage after the release of Heartthrob in January this year. I have to admit, I was a little sceptical about tonight’s show and what songs would be thrown our way. Since being a mad fan since 2006, I found myself grunting a little when the pop saturated Closer was released as the girl’s’ newest single. I am happy to say though, tonight really changed my mind.
First up for the night were synth-pop band Clubfeet, an excellent choice whose style complimented the new direction Tegan and Sara have taken this year.
Originally hailing from Cape Town South Africa, the five piece band has continued to develop their music career within Melbourne Victoria. It was clear from their performance that these boys love what they do. We were constantly entertained with funky dance moves and radical tambourine skills – clearly the boys were happy to celebrate the release of their most recent album Heirs And Graces.
At one point I wanted to join in and pretend I was in a club for a few moments. This was the kind of feel Clubfeet emitted and it seemed apparent the boys wanted us to jump around like sweaty maniacs. Unfortunately, the venue choice was a little questionable. Perhaps a greater response from the crowd would have been given had they been able to stand up and lubricate their gullets. Being seated for such lively music was definitely a challenge.
After having been gobsmacked by the beautiful sounds Clubfeet have created using their fancy voice synthesisers and noise pad, Triple J Unearthed artist Chela hopped on stage to join the band in singing their popular new single Heartbreak. The chemistry these guys have soon became clear, as she slotted right in with that smooth feel the band had about them.
As the clock struck 8.30pm, the charismatic Tegan and Sara walked on stage and waved to fans. The screams that were heard pierced my ears! These Canadians certainly have some passionate fans – that’s for damn sure. Girls could be seen fanning themselves and holding each other in excitement. It was overly amusing.
Opening the night with newer songs Drove Me Wild, I’m Not Your Hero and Goodbye Goodbye, the girls made it clear that the bigger response to their newer songs meant more old songs would be played. Clearly they were aware of our love for the older tunes too, which was nice. The overly catchy Back In Your Head brought us to our feet, leaving us to remember the classic 2007 album, The Con. The crowd went crazy at this point, most singing the tune word for word.
Given the electro pop direction the girls have taken this year with Hearthrob, it was interesting to hear different versions of songs from the past. Arrow from the 2009 album SaintHood was reinvented as a pop heavy, electro dance version that gave a refreshing twist to the album’s introduction track. There was a definite dance vibe about tonight and my sceptical outlook on Heartthrob began to change. A definite favourite had to be Shock To Your System, beginning with eerie drone noises and a repetitive snare drum that created a real military vibe. This really added to the drama of the song and that extra ‘oomph’ every live show needs. At one point the band rocked out so hard the drum kit broke. Rockin’.
Something Tegan and Sara do really well is portray the emotions of their songs – I’m talking clenched fists, closed eyes and the kind of body language that makes you go ‘Woah, this is some serious shit.’ It was a pleasure to watch and I couldn’t help but feel involved.
As the night began to wind down, the sisters left the stage with the band, returning as a three piece with one acoustic guitar. It was a real treat hearing the girls play alone after a night of loud electronic noises. We really appreciated the fact they took the time to go back to their softer roots for a while. Those who appreciate the tune Call It Off understand that all this song needs is an acoustic guitar and some sweet, sweet lovin’. This is exactly what we were given and it was brilliant.
The absolute highlight of the encore had to be the medley. Imagine all of your favourite old school Tegan and Sara songs meshed into one. I’m talking Superstar, Monday, Monday, Monday, My Number and many, many more. We were gobsmacked. I began to feel like an idiot for ever turning my back on the wonderful duo. Hopefully next time the girls play at a venue we can move around in, particularly if they continue with their newfound electronic style.
Kim Tedge
@Kimmers90