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Photo by Ian Laidlaw
JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ MELBOURNE ZOO
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5
On an international tour to promote his first solo album in seven years, Sweden’s José González only had one Melbourne gig – at the zoo – and it was sold out. As a result the lawn was already sheathed with a colourful patchwork of picnic rugs by 6pm. We still managed to find a small green patch close enough to the stage for a decent view. A live video projection of the stage on a large screen provided close-ups for those pushed further back. It didn’t seem possible, but the crowd actually doubled in the next hour as New Zealand’s Tiny Ruins, AKA Hollie Fullbrook, took the stage solo with her acoustic guitar. Opening with a song inspired by a Yeats poem, her pretty voice and melodious guitar were a beautiful primer for the headline act. González also opened his set solo on acoustic guitar, with that distinctive, honeysweet voice providing a delicate delivery of Crosses from his first album Veneer. He was then joined by his band, comprising a second acoustic guitarist, vibes/keyboardist, drummer and percussionist – most of whom provided stunning vocal harmonies on another Veneer track, Deadweight On Velveteen. You could almost hear a collective heartflutter from the crowd as González introduced the next song, his acoustic interpretation of Kylie Minogue’s Hand On Your Heart. With just a single drumbeat, guitar and sublime vocals, the once-cheesy pop tune became sonic sorbet with the González magic. The setlist featured a balanced blend of his earlier original songs and covers, along with several tracks from his latest album Vestiges & Claws; including The Forest, Let It Carry You, and the upbeat, hand-clap rhythms of Leaf Off/The Cave. A hauntingly beautiful cover of Barbarossa’s Home was followed by the mesmerising minimalism of Massive Attack’s Teardrops. It’s hard to imagine any cover doing that song justice, but González does it with seemingly effortless grace and distinction. His band is something of an international collective, with members from Adelaide, London and Sweden whose multiple talents enhanced the acoustic delicacy of González’s voice and compositions. Heartbeats featured superb vocal harmonies and subtle percussive instruments like xylophone. For the encore, González returned solo to play another new track, Open Book, his whistling adding a tinge of Americana. The band joined him for With The Ink Of A Ghost, and the final song, the hugely popular Down The Line, had the audience off their blankets and on their feet for what was effectively a standing ovation. BY KAYE BLUM LOVED: Great outdoor setup and production. HATED: A little too cosy? DRANK: Cider.
HITCHCOCK & HERRMANN – MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HAMER HALL
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5
Alfred Hitchcock’s striking visuals were often augmented with music that rose to the occasion. The most celebrated of the director’s composers was Bernard Herrmann. Even though Herrmann himself downplayed the importance of music made for cinema (“its existence is shaped by the film”), it’s now hard to imagine an iconic moment like Psycho’s notorious shower scene without the shrieking, stabbing strings that accompany it. Revisiting excerpts from the seven films that matched Hitchcock’s directional verge with the dark romanticism of Hermann’s music in a live setting is a difficult task, but it’s one that’s taken on with gusto by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, under
Photo by Ian Laidlaw
Photo by Daniel Aulsebrook the guidance of conductor Benjamin Northey. Presenter Phillip Sametz is on hand to give some context, but most of the music speaks for itself. There’s a devastatingly doomed romanticism to Vertigo’s soundtrack – even in its more reflective moments the spiralling instrumentation the weaves throughout the film gives it a queasy, uneasy atmosphere. Jagged strings and booming horns are a perfect fit for the bold, graphic opening credits to Vertigo and Psycho, while electrifying music matches the pace and dynamics of a series of atypical chase scenes: a forcibly drunk-driving Cary Grant on the winding streets of Long Island, the
GRIMES 170 RUSSELL
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 3
Anyone who caught Grimes’ gig at 170 Russell will tell you the same thing – to put it bluntly, she was fucking incredible. There wasn’t a single person who walked out of that venue without a beaming smile on their face, almost as if the showering of lights and sound had cleansed us of all negativity. Claire Boucher’s performance accentuated her incredible vocal range and wide variety of instrumental talents, backed by a vibrant and endearing sense of showmanship. It was by no means flawless, yet the supportive and happy crowd responded to her every move (including under-the-breath cursing, which gained supportive laughter and applause). It takes a special performer to turn weakness into a positive ingredient, but Boucher had Photo by David Harris
GILLIAN WELCH PALAIS THEATRE
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5
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panicked Marnie fleeing on horseback with tragic consequences, and the guiltridden anxiety and paranoia of Marion Crane’s drive to Bates Motel. There are moments of horror and tension that set you on the edge of your seat, not least that shocking encounter in the bathroom, but either side of these set pieces there are tense build-ups and quaking aftermaths, so there’s little chance for you to settle in and feel safe and secure. Which is just how Hitchcock would have wanted it. After a climax that replicates the dramatic orchestral performance of Arthur Benjamin’s cantata Storm Clouds Cantata in The Man Who Knew Too Much (complete
with choir, but thankfully sans thwarted assassination attempt), Northey wishes us a safe and uneventful night home. A night of thriller soundtrack music does make for a more unsettling night than your average MSO performance, but I’d happily be back for another Herrmann tribute – perhaps with the addition of theremin so we can bask in the otherworldly soundtrack of The Day The Earth Stood Still? BY CHRIS GIRDLER LOVED: Psycho, Vertigo. HATED: No hate for Hitchcock or Herrmann but Torn Curtain is pretty ‘meh’. DRANK: Post-work beers.
such charm that she could have set the place alight, shrugged, said “whoops” and the audience still would’ve been happy. The set itself was unrelenting. For the most part it was a powerful barrage on the eyes and ears. The prelude to the performance foreshadowed this – a pair of professional dancers who took to the stage and began shifting robotically to the sound of roaring bass, which cut out into dead silence before the crowd chimed in with thunderous applause. As the show went on, there were very few moments when some form of intricate dance, light spectacle or amplified sound wasn’t commanding the room’s attention. Boucher reached the stage with guitar in hand and started ripping into Flesh Without Blood. The song maintained its familiar catchy beat and bubblegum vocals, but the performance gave it new depth – the audio/visual energy emanating from the stage inciting a sense of astonishment you
couldn’t get from idly listening to the radio. Realiti threw intense drum programming into the mix, and the soaring synths proved that Grimes’ production-heavy music could translate to the live stage without a hitch. Daunting vocals were contrasted with moments of innocence, which applied to her manner in between songs. She’d share surplus information about an upcoming song or swear if she sang flat or forgot the words, yet she conveyed a fun and relatable persona throughout the evening. Outside of this, she danced around with microphone in hand, pulling out fantastic, well-rehearsed moves to add more flavour to the show.
The sold out Palais Theatre was buzzing with excitement as Americana queen Gillian Welch and performing partner/husband Dave Rawlings (Dave Rawlings Machine) were about to put an end to their 11 year Australian absence. After a dimming of the lights caused a hushed silence, the critically acclaimed country duo walked onstage to thunderous applause. Welch gave the audience a quick hello before delving into Scarlet Town, which was immediately met with cheers of recognition. The pair are musicians in the most traditional sense, born to strum and harmonise. Their voices melted together like honey and were often indistinguishable, such as on the upbeat The Way It Goes. The setlist was generous, spanning 22 songs, an intermission and two encores. As the night progressed, Welch and Rawlings’ onstage interaction felt more natural, and the audience interaction became downright charming. Certainly in their element when performing, each frequently got lost in
their instrument, solos growing wilder and more erratic, most notably on fan favourite Revelator. Our eyes were constantly drawn to the musicians’ complex finger plucking and tapping cowboy boots. There were no flashy lights or costumes here. The most movement from Welch came during Six White Horses, in which she rhythmically clapped, thigh slapped, and line danced, drawing whoops of approval from the audience. The Tennessee natives wrapped up the evening with a series of covers, including a highly energetic version of Cash and Carter’s Jackson. With each of their three encores sparking a standing ovation, it’s easy to say the night was a success.
BY THOMAS BRAND LOVED: All of it. HATED: Really conflicting going to a Grimes concert as a lover of metal. DRANK: Be-eer.
BY MICHAEL CLARK LOVED: The absolute professionalism. HATED: The 40 minute intermission. DRANK: in the atmosphere. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 37