There’s a jokey aspect to the Steve Miller Band – the self-described “ambitious cover band” share their name with a 1960s blues band, and their repertoire is made up of material that would’ve been high-currency in the ‘60s blues scene – but my word, the Steve Miller Band are seriously fun. Handsome Steve’s tramp-like antics were complemented by swoon-worthy contributions from his two female counterparts, which made for a cracking start to the evening.
Pearls arrived to run through a stack of tunes from their new LP, Pretend You’re Mine. The local four-piece put The Gaso’s PA to the test, making the most of their respective digits to send out a multi-dimensional sonic experience. At times they leaned a little too close to their forebears, be it the Cocteau Twins, Beach House or Big Scary. But at other moments – such as the Gary Glitter-aping set-closer Big Shot – the homage was so finely executed that you simply had to release your inner glamour queen.
Alexander Gow is on the cusp of his fourth LP as the leader and only constant member of Oh Mercy. The band’s lineup undergoes a re-jig with each outing, as Gow finds a new stylistic context to frame his lyrical songwriting. We got a bunch of fresh numbers, most of which were heartland belters, channeling Tom Petty by way of The War On Drugs. It’s perhaps Gow’s most straight-up singer/songwriter maneuver, which makes sense given the lovelorn strain of songs like Without You.
Nevertheless, the new-look Oh Mercy had no trouble replicating the grooved-up styling’s of 2012’s Deep Heat, and also threw in a bunch of quirky indie-pop numbers from the first couple of records.
It all came as a welcome reminder of Gow’s quality songwriting history. Meanwhile, he’s a more than capable singer, but would someone buy the guy a packet of cigarettes already? To be sure, he didn’t miss a note, but he found most of them through his nose, and when the nasal tones were most pronounced, it was like listening to Bob Dylan through a broken headphone jack.
The set included no real fireworks, though the band briefly stepped aside for Paul Dempsey to help Gow through a cover of The Waterboys’ The Whole of the Moon. Gow’s a likable personality and reliable tunesmith, and amid the heartache of his current stylistic leaning, this remains unchanged.
BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
Loved: SMB.
Hated: Men, women, you name it.
Drank: Collingwood.
