This article first appeared on the AU Review
The Beach Road Hotel in Bondi is a brilliant venue for a couple of reasons. It’s down the road from the beach for one. The majority of gigs that go down there are free, all the while consistently featuring some of Australia’s top artists. It’s also a curious venue that can fluctuate between high capacity, rowdy crowds and intimate displays of musicianship depending on the clientele on any given night. Coming off the back of BIGSOUND, Stillwater Giants and Coach Bombay stopped by Sydney this past Saturday for a night of the latter, truly earning the appreciation of the new fans they gained on the night.
First up were local supports, the funk infused, chill-wave aficionados, Winston Surfshirt. Sounding similar to Phoenix circa “Alphabetical”, their deep groaning bass tunes, slow moving synth and slippery vocals could get the sourest of prudes feeling a little sexual. They held steady in front of a humble crowd that were content with a beer and some tunes from the security of their seats. That said, the boys got heads nodding, shoulders swaying and laid a perfect foundation for the good vibes to follow throughout the night.
Performing interstate for only the second time (the first being BIGSOUND, two days prior), Melbourne’s Coach Bombay took the stage with haste, opening with the fast moving “Radiator” and escalating punters moods with electro-pop happiness. Being primarily known as a production artist, things like flawless female vocals of Luci Hodgson and extra layers of guitar brought a completely new element to tracks like the cowbell induced “Waterfall” and the slow moving “Anymore”, heightening what was fast becoming an unreal set.
Frontman Terry Mann bounced and bopped as the latest single “Girls” proved to be the embodiment of electro-pop, oozing positivity and fun and snatching the attention of everyone in the room as people dropped their pool cues and buck hunter games to investigate. It seemed they came just in time as the four piece jumped into 2012’s “Love”, starting a mini dancefloor as they minced through staggered lead guitar and a chorus that, simply put, makes your heart happy.
The shy lot finished off the last leg of their “Girls” tour with the appropriately named track “Take Off”. With a morse-code like electronic backing, intimidatingly catchy riffs and vocals executed expertly, crowd members danced in circles as they said goodbye to Sydney for the first time.
Also fresh from BIGSOUND, the headliners, Perth’s Stillwater Giants took the stage relaxed with all that surf-rock and indie style they’re known for. Heightening harmonies streaked through a melting pot of a Hungry Kids Of Hungary or Last Dinosaurs vibe were tweaked with the own personality. Although tonight was a little quieter than most in the band room at Beach Road, two tracks down and the boys were slick with charisma and confidence.
The new track “Munich” was a definite highlight, chugging along with suave, locomotive like vocals. They had a hazy belief in themselves that granted instant likability. Songs like “Walking On Air” and the more recent “Insane” tracked just right, with illusively catchy riffs spiking as the dance floor began to take shape. Right as that happened the Perth natives absolutely pummelled an amazing cover of “Original Sin” by INXS, complete with face melting guitars, burning sweet memories into the minds of the crowd.
As expected, the hit “Fly Under The Radar” did anything but. This track absolutely killed it. Squeezed into a perfect spot in the set, it lifted it right up to its peak and caught the curiosity of anyone nearby, grabbing the crowd at its height. As Stillwater Giants took their leave, the intimacy of the gig was never more clear as the standby music played and they began to pack up.
The hard slog of touring for a lot of Australian bands means that some gigs will be better than others. The encouraging take away of an intimate show like the one at Beach Road, is that when shit-hot bands like Stillwater Giants and Coach Bombay come back to Sydney, they’ll come back with more and more die-hard fans with each impeccably drilled performance like the one on Saturday. Conversely, the lesson for fans is to strike while the iron is hot. Blink, and these guys will be slaying fans minds by the thousands in sold out engagements. Sooner or later, you’ll be fighting for a ticket to see them. With talent like that, it’s almost a given.
