Two of our most-promising indie acts team up for a breezy free gig at Melbourne’s cultural centre.
It’s probably not bad form to show up at a free, after work, public gig late, but we still felt a little bit guilty arriving at the paved dunes of Melbourne’s Federation Square after The Seabellies had already began.
Of course, we didn’t know it was them just yet. With a cute chick on keys and a bunch of shaggy skinny boys playing perky new wave-inspired indie rock, they could’ve been the Naked And Famous from a distance. And the fact that I recognised many of their hooky little numbers led me to believe that I was watching New Zealanders rather than Novocastrians for the length of the set.
Fool me, anyway. Newcastle’s The Seabellies were good, light fun. They skipped between instruments and ably presented their catchy tunes to a willing audience and the occasional coiffed Derby Day giraffes teetering through the crowd. They should be even better in the crammed room during their Evelyn residency.
Hipster kids sat cross-legged eating KFC and soaking it up. A smattering of curious onlookers from the surrounding bars peered over. Applause didn’t quite live up to the memorable, gently inspirational setlist.
A brief break, and a slight filling out of the crowd, led to Kiwi buzz band The Naked And Famous. The Undercover crew had a ball with them at Bigsound in Brisbane a couple of months back, but today the band looked a little fidgety and weren’t nearly loud enough.
Sure, their equally poised selection of new wavey, worldbeaty, indie rock – at its best when the girl-boy vocals bounced off each other – did the trick. But they seemed a little lost in the expanse of sky and wind. The larger crowd they’ll face at Big Day Out next year should help condense and focus the sound.
Regardless, this was fantastic value for a free gig (arf!), with two of the Antipodes’ most promising indie rock bands back-to-back in a venue overflowing with Melbourne city pride.
The free every-second-Thursday concert series continues from the Fed Square Live series, presented by The Push, with indigenous groups Dunganda Street Sounds and The Lajamanu Teenage Band from 7:30 on November 18, Kylie Auldist and Deep Street Soul from 6:30 on December 2, and Dan Kelly and The Bedroom Philosopher from 7:30 on December 16.
