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Review: Rebecca Jones
RED Jezebel's Album Launch @ The Rosemount
SATURDAY night, July 3, 2004, and we are crowded into The Rosemount
Hotel, trying to forget the cold, wet and nasty evening in a Winter-struck
Perth.
But it's all good ... tonight is Red Jezebels launch of their
album, Revelations, with a line-up of bands to die for in Perth.
For those who don't know, Red Jez (as they're affectionately
known) have been touring the Perth and Australian indie circuit
for the best part of seven years ... and with three critically-acclaimed
EPs, Revelations is seen as an album that is well overdue.
And it showed in the crowd ... a who’s who of local band
members, radio DJs, journos and the Joe Blow indie punter!
First up on the night were The Panda Band, new
to the Perth scene, and already raising eyebrows in the indie
circuit.
It may have been a concern that the weather was keeping people
away this early in the evening, with perhaps a crowd of around
100 watching this five-piece strut their stuff, but, as the set
wore on, the punters did swell a little.
Certainly, the crowd watched The Panda Band with interest, but
their sound, reminiscent of late '60s and early '70s rock, with
Dylanesque-style lead vocals, was an eclectic mix that made one
feel as though they were an offshoot of The White Album; good
compositions, but covering a range of styles that left the audience
wondering where the band was coming from and going to.
Even so, applause was genuine and it will be nice to see where
The Panda Band progress to from here, as they forge their own
identity and style.
Next up were Snowman, an act currently the centre
of much hype in Perth, and, by the time this four-piece had set
up, the crowd had at least trebled - weather being no obstacle
to this gig!
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Regardless of hype, of which there
was none on this night, this is a band destined to go far, and,
based on this performance, the crowd could feel it, too.
Energetic, lively, imaginative and avant garde all sum up Snowman,
who are reminiscent of The Pixies having a tango with the Sleepy
Jackson.
This is a band that has the ability to suck an audience into
its show so that they feel a part of the entertainment ... and
it showed, as cheer after cheer followed each and every song.
From feedback playing, electric violin, screams, manic drums
and frenzied guitar, it was Olga on the bass that held it all
together and kept it within boundaries that pushed music to the
extreme.
Third up, and the support act to Red Jez, were The Fergussons,
a band that goes hand in hand with the Perth indie scene.
Theirs was a far more traditional set to that of Snowman, ranging
from indie rock to indie pop sounds. Although they entertained
with enthusiasm, fun and humour, their compositions came across
as a little lack-lustre in comparison to the energy generated
by the previous act, but still they managed to hold the audience's
interest and maintained the flow of the evening.
And then came Red Jez themselves, eager and
pumped up, as they launched into a set that included a great mix
of the old and the new.
Ranging in style from guitar-based rock to softer, acoustic ballards,
the crowd lapped it up as this four-piece went about enjoying
themselves on stage. Woody was a commanding presence at the centre.
Being either introspective and extrovert, as they so desired,
this well-known four-piece displayed an on-stage maturity gained
through the hard and long touring of a circuit, as Red Jez gave
the crowd what they wanted ... the band at their best!
On the evidence of this set-list, the debut long-player is certainly
an album that should see Red Jez achieve what they have strived
to for so long, and who in Perth could wish otherwise?
Certainly not this audience, who got whole-heartedly behind the
band, cheered every move and song, every word, and, at the end
of it, called out genuinely for an encore... And did Red Jez deny
them? Not on this night!! |
