Savages @ The Hi-Fi
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Savages @ The Hi-Fi

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Melbourne’s A Dead Forest Index provided a dark low key start to the night. The duo comprised of brothers Sam and Adam Sherry dropped a set of austere dirges that created an uneasy mood designed to unsettle listeners.  Their tunes revolved around a seemingly endless repetitive structure created by insistent beats and repetitive lyrical mantras that drilled deep into our subconscious. Filling what looks like a regular support slot for Savages as they tour Europe next month is sure to win these brothers plenty of new fans.

Savages eventually hit the stage with a squall of feedback and distortion that shifted the pounding I Am Here into gear. They created a flawless post punk noise that snarled and sneered at us, anxiously releasing a certain pent up rage. Coming at us with more angles than a pair of winklepickers, Savages wore their eighties post punk influences on their sleeves. They borrowe from acts as diverse as Wire and Bauhaus to Gang of Four and Joy Division but each of their tunes is a potent distillation of nothing but the very best that post punk has to offer. Much like ESG, the stark bare bones mix gave each instrument the opportunity to occupy plenty of space.  

Gemma Thompson’s guitar delivered a beautiful heavy noise, Faye Milton’s thunderous beats sounded amazing and Ayse Hassan’s sturdy bass brought a lusciously deep throb to the proceedings. The trio combined to provide a huge wall of noise. Meanwhile lead singer Jehnny Beth’s commanding presence ensured that she owned the stage. She projected a larger than life rock star persona and clearly intimidated those in the front row when she gave them the eye. Beth’s often compared to Siouxsie Sioux but she also comes with the unforgiving rage that a ferocious Sinead O’Connor once displayed on her debut album.

The illicit fetish fantasies of Hit Me added a certain sexiness to these girls’ brand of feminism, which eventually had us wrestling with the muscular rhythms of Husbands. Labelled one of last year’s biggest buzz bands, Savages proved that they are also a band of great substance. 

BY THE SIDEMAN
Photos by Kate Davis

Loved: Another War/ Husbands.
Hated: Set times were delayed by almost an hour.
Drank: More than you should on a school night.