You’d imagine City Calm Down have been pinching themselves a lot lately. Although it may have taken them three years to perfect their debut album In A Restless House,the pay off has been enormous – ten sold out shows across the country says it all. City Calm Down’s signature brand of broodiness seemed to rub off on both support acts. Problems impressed with their experimental electronic style while Airling’s set proved it’s only a matter of time before she too is selling out shows all over in the country.
Drawing the stage curtains closed created all the more anticipation for City Calm Down’s arrival, with the unveiling of the band sending the crowd into a frenzy. Kicking things off with Border on Control, lead singer Jack Bourke worked the stage from the get go. Bourke appeared possessed by a musical spirit, with his impassioned stance hard to look away from. Pavement was given with a lot more aggression than its recorded form, aided by perfectly timed flashes of lighting that were reminiscent of a rave party. Slower number Wandering provided a moment of rest before it fully kicked into gear, with the crowd doing a surprisingly good job of keeping the chatter to a minimum.
Rabbit Run was a crowd favourite and ignited a passionate sing-along, while the recent Like A Version cover of Foals’ Spanish Sahara was also enthusiastically received. Although the cover sticks closely to the original, Bourke’s deep vocals paired with the slow build in instrumentationdemonstrated the band’s emotional depth as the spellbound crowd lost themselves during the song’s climax. When Bourke later announced they were going to do a cover of Davie Bowie’s Let’s Dance a few confused expressions were spotted in the crowd. Perhaps a surprising choice given the band’s moodiness, with the upbeat numberserving as a stark contrast to the band’s own material.
City Calm Down have cemented themselves as one of the most formidable bands in Australia, and their live show has improved with every tour. Returning to their hometown off the back of a sold out tour clearly meant a lot to the band, and things are unlikely to calm down for them anytime soon.
Loved: Making my friend laugh so hard she cried upon imitating Jack Bourke’s deep vocals.
Hated: Not being able to hear the back up singers in the mix.
Drank: Dreamt of Fat Yak, stuck with water.
BY HOLLY PEREIRA
