With so many stellar festival appearances over the period since In Ghost Colours’ 2008 release, it’s hard to believe that we haven’t had a proper Cut Copy show in something like three years. That’s not to say their triumphant Zonoscope unveiling at the most recent Laneway run, their Big Day Out supremacy, and a slot at Coachella (which was treated to an ejaculatory review by Pitchfork) ain’t nothing to sneeze at; but we had yet been privy to a feature-length offering of their stellar back catalogue.
Judging by the tiny allocation of stage real estate given to resurgent indie-rockers The Holidays, there was a gnarly stage setup waiting to be unveiled for the main event. Managing their cosy confines rather deftly, The Holidays exhibited their revamped, electronic-heavy sound – making a tidy complementary selection to the night’s headliners. Though it is strange how the group has managed to jettison their original genre (guitar-fuelled indie rock) and appropriate another stale genre (dance punk) and create a satisfying whole.
The sheets were pulled back from a monstrosity of a stage setup – giant platform, lights, the LCD door/screen from their Laneway run, more lights, and what could have well been the disassembled head of the MCG’s light tower 3. Adhering to a strict business-casual dress code, Cut Copy lit up the packed Palace with a pretty incredible run of tracks – songs from the new record as well as In Ghost Colours were greeted with a rapturous response.
When Lights And Music was unleashed early on in the setlist, shit got real crazy. Turning around during the subdued, spacey chorus intro you could see all three levels of the Palace raising their arms in unbridled bliss, before joining in with every ‘whoo!’.
The epic dance jam and Zonoscope closer Sun God provided close to 20 minutes of IDM perfection – a hell of a way to close out the main portion of the set before bidding farewell with Out There On The Ice; rounding out a pretty freakin’ impressive run of hits, emboldened by an assured sense of showmanship and theatrics – notably frontman Dan Whitford’s dancing style – much like a sexier Peter Garrett, or a goofier Mick Jagger.
Closing a second encore with the appropriately titled In Ghost Colours cut Feel The Love, Cut Copy retreated to emphatic calls for them to return for a third encore.
Loved: Lights, music, Lights And Music.
Hated: Pretty sure the LCD door’s capabilities were toned down from the Laneway set.
Drank: Not enough to join the stream of punters at the front door being advised to take a ‘half-hour walk’ by the unscrupulous bouncers.
