The Kills @ The Prince Bandroom, Melbourne (28/07/2011)
Arriving on stage more than a few minutes late, the sold out performance by The Kills at The Prince Bandroom promised to be one of the most talked about Splendour in the Grass sideshows of 2011. And not just because Hince's wife, supermodel Kate Moss was in attendance.
Unlike your more ‘traditional’ bands, The Kills perform as a duo, Jamie Hince on guitar and Alison Mossheart mixing up vocal duties with secondary guitar in some of the sets songs. Opening the performance with No Wow, we’re immediately treated to the finest in modern garage rock in one of Melbourne’s most intimate venues.
What makes The Kills so intriguing is that they are seemingly accessible by almost every kind of music fan. There is literally something for everybody in the performance, from Jamie’s utterly mesmerizing guitar solos to Alison’s wildly sexy stage swagger. Early songs saw Future Starts Slow and Heart Is A Beating Drum, both from the duo’s fourth release, Blood Pressures. In particular, Heart Is A Beating Drum was a genuine highlight. Jamie’s guitar performance in this track is one of the bands finest moments, both on and off record. There is just something about it that ignites the urge to pick up an instrument and try to replicate the performance yourself.
The inclusion of Soul Cherry, U.R.A. Fever and Tape Song from Midnight Boom were nice inclusions in the set, however it was with a surprise cover of the Marilyn Monroe song One Silver Dollar where we found a true set highlight. It was only the second live performance of the song. The third would be on Triple J’s Like A Version the following morning. While an incredibly odd choice for a cover, it surprisingly fitted in nicely with the set, Alison’s grungy style putting a twist on a Hollywood classic. The Kills are constantly pushing themselves to new levels of intricate detail in their music.
The set was as expected, predominately material from Blood Pressures. Following a short two minute break away from the stage, The Kills returned to the sold out crowd for one hell of a final stretch. Kicking off the nights encore with The Last Goodbye, it began to signal the closing stages of the night before Pull A U, Pots and Pans and Fried My Little Brains did so in spectacular style. Despite little to no chatter with the crowd, Alison had the whole bandroom in the palms of her hands. As the final notes ring out and the crowd cheers we are reminded as to why The Kills remain one of the most talked about acts on the touring circuit right now; they are pure and honest rock in its finest form.
Luke Sutton
Unlike your more ‘traditional’ bands, The Kills perform as a duo, Jamie Hince on guitar and Alison Mossheart mixing up vocal duties with secondary guitar in some of the sets songs. Opening the performance with No Wow, we’re immediately treated to the finest in modern garage rock in one of Melbourne’s most intimate venues.
What makes The Kills so intriguing is that they are seemingly accessible by almost every kind of music fan. There is literally something for everybody in the performance, from Jamie’s utterly mesmerizing guitar solos to Alison’s wildly sexy stage swagger. Early songs saw Future Starts Slow and Heart Is A Beating Drum, both from the duo’s fourth release, Blood Pressures. In particular, Heart Is A Beating Drum was a genuine highlight. Jamie’s guitar performance in this track is one of the bands finest moments, both on and off record. There is just something about it that ignites the urge to pick up an instrument and try to replicate the performance yourself.
The inclusion of Soul Cherry, U.R.A. Fever and Tape Song from Midnight Boom were nice inclusions in the set, however it was with a surprise cover of the Marilyn Monroe song One Silver Dollar where we found a true set highlight. It was only the second live performance of the song. The third would be on Triple J’s Like A Version the following morning. While an incredibly odd choice for a cover, it surprisingly fitted in nicely with the set, Alison’s grungy style putting a twist on a Hollywood classic. The Kills are constantly pushing themselves to new levels of intricate detail in their music.
The set was as expected, predominately material from Blood Pressures. Following a short two minute break away from the stage, The Kills returned to the sold out crowd for one hell of a final stretch. Kicking off the nights encore with The Last Goodbye, it began to signal the closing stages of the night before Pull A U, Pots and Pans and Fried My Little Brains did so in spectacular style. Despite little to no chatter with the crowd, Alison had the whole bandroom in the palms of her hands. As the final notes ring out and the crowd cheers we are reminded as to why The Kills remain one of the most talked about acts on the touring circuit right now; they are pure and honest rock in its finest form.
Luke Sutton