The Jungle Giants have been relentlessly touring for the last year, which is evidentially benefitting the Brisbane foursome. For a young band, The Jungle Giants’ breakthrough single Mr Polite had a refreshingly simple execution. The guitar playing in particular was precociously relaxed. Their repertoire around the time of its release revolved around the Vampire Weekend, Phoenix vogue, but it was more like an enthusiastic interpretation rather than an attempt to cash in on the fad. Over the last year they’ve been working hard developing their direction. Tonight the four-piece displayed united purpose and played a handful of really impressive songs. Interestingly, show closer, latest single She’s A Riot, was perhaps the least representative and least unique song of their set. Otherwise though, they took time when needed, evading obvious hooks and crunching rock-outs in favour of convincing melodies and anthemic crescendos. Sam Hales is a talented vocalist and songs like You’ve Got Something showed his aptitude to switch from falsetto to full voice and into a harder yell. One complaint I have is with the muted bass presence. The band’s sound would be additionally potent if there was a strong plucky 60s bass sound but the bass seemed to be sitting under a mat or obscured by a bus. Nevertheless, all four band members were genuinely in the moment and very comfortably communicated with the close to capacity crowd.
Last Dinosaurs are a hell of a lot better live. The chopped-up studio ‘perfection’ of their debut LP In A Million Years can make them sound like a derivative indie-pop outfit. Live, it’s not about picking who they’re ripping off it’s more about obeying the body-moving impetus of tunes like Andy andTime and Place. Tonight was the second of back-to-back sold out shows at The Corner Hotel and the Brisbane four-piece (who have just returned from a European tour) had their shit together.
All the sounds were in the right clothes. Lead guitarist, Lachlan, seemed transported into a world of guitar stimulation. Unlike the other band members he remained rather still and this made his daring finger work and wielding of far-reaching guitar effects appear effortless. Sean Caskey’s jangly Fender Mustang rhythm-guitar playing was appropriately frayed, moving it away from the nauseating precision the recorded production applies. Their cover of The Cure’s Just Like Heaven was very well done and allowed for a re-framing of the songs that followed, pointing towards the increased melodic impact when something is honestly, rather than obviously, expressed.
The majority of the room’s eager occupants were flapping about duringZoom, giving further power to the song, which sounds a little tired on record but takes an outward leap live. This was a further testament to the fact that Last Dinosaurs are not perfectionists and their strength lies in their happy go lucky personality. They hopped around with boundless energy and acted as if to say ‘yeah we’re awesome but it’s okay you can be cool too’.
BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
LOVED: The room full of people not afraid to physically admit their enjoyment.
HATED: This physical enjoyment throwing various liquors on my coat.
DRANK: Richmond’s own Mountain Goat Steam Ale.
