The Growl, Peter Bibby & His bottles of Confidence, Mining Boom @ The Northcote Social Club, Melbourne (02/09/2013)
Doc Martens, extensive facial hair and flower crowns assembled at the Northcote Social Club in anticipation for The Growl’s ‘Douse the Lamps’ gig on Tuesday night.
Special guests, and fellow Perth band Mining Boom were the first act to open the 2013 tour. Their indie vibe and sound definitely corresponded with the popular Melbourne venue.
Although the crowd appeared apprehensive at first allowing chatting and drinking to take precedent over the music, Mining Boom definitely won the crowd over as the set progressed- their confidence developed with each song as did the crowd’s response. By the last song, there wasn’t a person in the room un-attentive to their performance. Loyal followers of the band were spotted singing all the lyrics to singles such as Telecom and PDA and new-comers to the band were found dancing and engaged in the short but sweet tracks.
The break between the conclusion of Mining Boom and the next act, Peter Bibby & His Bottles of Confidence, saw the crowd disperse and allowed attendees to indulge in cigarette breaks, chatter and drink stock-ups.
As soon as Bibby and the ever-changing line-up of His Bottles of Confidence arrived to the stage, the crowd quickly amassed the room again. Many supporters of POND and Tame Impala were obviously present to experience a show by their extended family. A few beers deep, the scruffy looking Nick “Paisley Adams” Allbrook introduced everybody with confidence, Bibby last.
Their cheeky and charismatic energy both humoured and excited the crowd. By the third track, the crowd was completely engaged in Bibby’s incredible vocals and the floor saw a full house. Their hit song Home Alone stole the show of their entire performance, the entire crowd found dancing, laughing and singing along simultaneously.
After an awesome set by Bibby and the boys, the crowd chose to not really leave their spots in the room but rather waited it out for The Growl to grace the stage.
With the lights dim and the crowd silent, Cam Avery’s vocals and the bands acoustics carried out a gentle and captivating opening. Avery looked suave with his melting smile, making small jokes whilst casually interacting with the crowd.
This attitude really re-affirmed an intimate performance for the fans. As the set progressed, The Growl encapsulated a jazzier and grungier vibe with their instrumentals and cool backing tracks. Avery’s passion oozed through his quivering vocals, claps and finger clicks, adding to the overall atmospheric experience of the crowd.
After Avery announced the band was working on a new record, the band proceeded with a ‘trial run’ and never before played track. The response of the crowd proved positive, who were then rewarded with the hit Smoke It Down from their first record.
Accompanied with flashy lighting, Avery’s use of the harmonica combined with bass and his vocals resulted in John the Revelator being the most interactive song of the night, and had the entire crowd singing and clapping along.
After a few more newbies of which Avery thanked the crowd for “putting up with”, they played the playful and relatable track You Can Leave Me On Boxing Day. Avery humorously described this track as "A song that is the unfortunate realization that the token drunk relative on Christmas Day is you".
As the set drew to an end, The Growl closed with their most well-known song and root of their garage sound Cleaver Lever. This finished the set on an excellent and classic note, leaving the fans cheer for more.
Adrianna Connelly
Special guests, and fellow Perth band Mining Boom were the first act to open the 2013 tour. Their indie vibe and sound definitely corresponded with the popular Melbourne venue.
Although the crowd appeared apprehensive at first allowing chatting and drinking to take precedent over the music, Mining Boom definitely won the crowd over as the set progressed- their confidence developed with each song as did the crowd’s response. By the last song, there wasn’t a person in the room un-attentive to their performance. Loyal followers of the band were spotted singing all the lyrics to singles such as Telecom and PDA and new-comers to the band were found dancing and engaged in the short but sweet tracks.
The break between the conclusion of Mining Boom and the next act, Peter Bibby & His Bottles of Confidence, saw the crowd disperse and allowed attendees to indulge in cigarette breaks, chatter and drink stock-ups.
As soon as Bibby and the ever-changing line-up of His Bottles of Confidence arrived to the stage, the crowd quickly amassed the room again. Many supporters of POND and Tame Impala were obviously present to experience a show by their extended family. A few beers deep, the scruffy looking Nick “Paisley Adams” Allbrook introduced everybody with confidence, Bibby last.
Their cheeky and charismatic energy both humoured and excited the crowd. By the third track, the crowd was completely engaged in Bibby’s incredible vocals and the floor saw a full house. Their hit song Home Alone stole the show of their entire performance, the entire crowd found dancing, laughing and singing along simultaneously.
After an awesome set by Bibby and the boys, the crowd chose to not really leave their spots in the room but rather waited it out for The Growl to grace the stage.
With the lights dim and the crowd silent, Cam Avery’s vocals and the bands acoustics carried out a gentle and captivating opening. Avery looked suave with his melting smile, making small jokes whilst casually interacting with the crowd.
This attitude really re-affirmed an intimate performance for the fans. As the set progressed, The Growl encapsulated a jazzier and grungier vibe with their instrumentals and cool backing tracks. Avery’s passion oozed through his quivering vocals, claps and finger clicks, adding to the overall atmospheric experience of the crowd.
After Avery announced the band was working on a new record, the band proceeded with a ‘trial run’ and never before played track. The response of the crowd proved positive, who were then rewarded with the hit Smoke It Down from their first record.
Accompanied with flashy lighting, Avery’s use of the harmonica combined with bass and his vocals resulted in John the Revelator being the most interactive song of the night, and had the entire crowd singing and clapping along.
After a few more newbies of which Avery thanked the crowd for “putting up with”, they played the playful and relatable track You Can Leave Me On Boxing Day. Avery humorously described this track as "A song that is the unfortunate realization that the token drunk relative on Christmas Day is you".
As the set drew to an end, The Growl closed with their most well-known song and root of their garage sound Cleaver Lever. This finished the set on an excellent and classic note, leaving the fans cheer for more.
Adrianna Connelly