The intimate space of Ding Dong Lounge proved to be a great match for the intimate soul-searching of UK producer Christopher Taylor (aka Sohn), who reeled in a sell-out crowd on the strength of his impressive debut album, Tremors. Support act Japanese Wallpaper warmed up the attentive room of listeners with an impressive set, the standout of which was a spine-tingling cover of Grizzly Bear’s Knife.
Soon enough, the sparse stage was invaded by a shadowy trinity of black caps/hoods/beanies, surrounded by tech. The element of threat came undone when Taylor spoke softly in his endearing British accent, and there’s no denying the onstage good vibes and genuine niceness of a trio of performers on the final gig of their three-month world tour. Taylor confirmed that music-loving Melbourne’s the place to finish up in style (even the Sydney crowd admitted as much to him).
It can be a challenge to make a fully satisfying meal of a single album, here played almost in its entirety, but Tremors was cleverly re-sequenced to make for a commanding live show and offer a twist on the recorded version. The crowd was eased in with moodier, gentler numbers, the middle of the set was stacked with the poppier early-album tracks and a rave-like atmosphere was conjured up with the beat-driven numbers as a climax – no mean feat for a Wednesday evening. “It’s going to get really nasty,” warned Taylor just as Lessons kicked in as a closer. And it did get nasty, but in the nicest possible way.
BY CHRIS GIRDLER
Loved: The a cappella opening to Tremors.
Hated: People insisting on capturing every moment on their phone.
Drank: Fat Yak.
