Up first, Ecca Vandal surprised the crowd with her experimental and somewhat confronting music. Her sound is hard to pin down; is it gangster punk? Heavy rock with electronic elements? Indie grunge? Still, there was plenty of quality musicianship to be admired. The drummer consistently hammered out interesting beats and Vandal had endless energy.
Rock, when done well, is pure bliss. At certain points during Gang of Youths’ performance, that’s what we got. The best examples were second song Poison Drum and closer Vital Signs. However, nothing could really match this brilliance, and there were moments in the set when Gang of Youths didn’t excite. This was exemplified by a boring Joni Mitchell cover. Worse still, the band’s fantastic cover of LCD Soundsystem’s All My Friends (recorded for triple j’s Like A Version program) wasn’t played. Despite being a cover, it has become a fan favourite, with audience members calling out for it numerous times during the night.
At their best, Gang of Youths are unstoppable. Songs such as Benevolence Riots and Radio Face build suspense before a massive release of angst comes in the chorus. Frontman David Leaupepe’s voice is one of the best going around. It combines a classic rock roughness with a smooth, deep tone similar to The National’s Matt Berninger. More than anything, Leaupepe’s voice is what makes Gang Of Youths an exciting prospect. Everything else is done well, but doesn’t push any boundaries. The three guitars and one bass create a guitar-driven sound reminiscent of The War On Drugs. The honesty in the lyrics, such as Knuckles White Dry, as well as some of the guitar hooks, are similar to Bruce Springsteen. Nearly all the songs follow the same method of a slow build-up before a big finale. This is often very effective, but some versatility would improve their performance.
BY JOSH THORBURN
Loved: That voice.
Hated: They didn’t play All My Friends.
Drank: Water.
