Nearly 30 years on from their maiden LP release, Spiderbait’s influence over the Australian rock scene has remained steadfast.
Even to this day, where despite their musical careers having spanned 4 decades, they have just completed an Australian tour. However, the recently concluded run of shows didn’t necessarily see punters hear their favourite tracks.
Rather the tour entitled ‘Sounds in the Key of J’ featured setlists brimming with songs that Janet, bass player of the band, was responsible for writing.
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Spiderbait interview: ‘Why did we leave this track off the record?’
This was what the Nipaluna/Hobart-based fans were exposed to on Saturday October 15. Having had the original gig postponed from June to the weekend just gone, the Unibar in Sandy Bay was teeming with eager listeners, hailing from a range of demographics. The unique wide and shallow stage of the Unibar hosted the band and a crowd whose age varied from fans who were alive for Spiderbait’s first releases to passionate listeners who have discovered the band more recently.
In suitable fashion local three-piece Babylon Howl kicked off the night with their recognisable softer verses leading into hard-hitting chorus sections. Followed up by Hudson Cartel and their hell-for-leather sound who warmed up the crowd for Spiderbait.
The setlist was as varied as the crowd itself. At one stage Janet was under a singular spotlight on the stage alone playing the acoustic guitar. A serenading ballad that was a departure from the rest of the set that ebbed and flowed between showcasing some of the iconic Spiderbait songs we have come to know over the years to unreleased tracks, lost in the abyss of recording. At another moment in the show, Kram – drummer of the band, was handed a glockenspiel and perched atop his stool proceeded to play the kit, glockenspiel, and an acoustic guitar simultaneously in a flurry of impressive multi-instrumentation.
However, the focus was on Janet for the evening, and rightfully so. Her bass playing driving the high-octane nature of the Spiderbait sound – full of fast, short, and aggressive tracks often not lasting longer than two to three minutes in length. With Whitt and Kram receding into the background – a conscious decision, Janet’s songwriting skills were on full display as she effortlessly maintained rhythm whilst singing.
After nearly 90 minutes of Spiderbait belting out tune after tune, the show was drawn to a close. But as with any live show an encore was expected and upon the crowd pleading for such, they appeared overjoyed to see Spiderbait return to stage. Delighting in the fan-favourite track – ‘Calypso’ was the closer for the event and the audience were sent onwards into their evening with a satisfying dose of the grungy, punk sound that Australia has come to identify Spiderbait, as well as some one-of-a-kind moments.
An impressive evening of music presented by Spiderbait, who despite not releasing music as prolifically as they have in the past, exposed some of their hidden feathers and the significant impact Janet has had within the band.
Sounds In The Key of J is out now.
