Like the cliche evangelicals that share the same rich southern accent as Band of Horses frontman Ben Bridwell, their Forum show was about revelation.
There were two points of enlightenment as a sold-out crowd worshipped rock’n’roll at arguably Melbourne’s busiest side-show venue on Splendour In Grass weekend.
The first point of enlightenment was that the South Carolina born Bridwell and Western Australia born opening act Gareth Liddiard share a similar spot in their native music landscapes. Both have become pin-ups as the contemporary epitome of their country’s modern rock sound despite their music being far from cliché, thus creating a new normal.
Liddiard was performing with his MK ULTRA project, longtime collaborators Dan Luscombe (electric guitar/vocals) and Steve Hesketh (keyboards, drum machines and percussion), creating what can best be described as Liddiard’s signature skippy drawl straddling disjointed swashbuckling rhythms as though each song had been cobbled together with industrial revolution ambience and the ashtray of Tom Waits – compelling, enlivening and challenging music.
The second realisation was the evolution of Band Of Horses, from the grunge-meets-honky abstraction of 2006’s Meredith Music Festival to a tweaked stadium rock act that headlines major festivals around the world.
Tumbling piano keys washed in as the stage was bathed in a soft yet deep azure and after about a minute Band Of Horses rollicked into a stadium sized version of Is There A Ghost, one of the many fan favorites from 2007’s Cease To Begin. During the three-track swathe of stadium sized renditions, lead single from Why Are You Ok, the spritely Casual Party,was the highlight. While rollicking and eliciting a half-hearted barn dance groove from some in the audience, it was clear the majority of those in attendance were yearning for the quaint-yet-powerful tenderness that Bridwell’s voice captures in the band’s tender musical moments such as No One’s Gonna Love You. A curious thing happened during this song, while eagerly singing along the audience restrained its volume so that the untrained voices didn’t drown out Bridwell.
On their last tour, when Band Of Horses played The Palais Theatre in 2013, Funeral featured mid-set, mitigating its subtle might because it seemed as though it was simply respite to the regular flow of the set. Here the five-minute song was saved for last, allowing the song’s lingering power to ruminate within audience members as they stood there clapping in awe of a very special band.
BY DAN WATT
Loved: Hanging out with my Pal.
Hated: How cold it was.
Drank: I always struggle to answer this because I don’t drink a lot.
