Saturday night at the Espy’s Gershwin room was soul night. Kicking off the evening was LABJACD, a monstrous outfit with at least nine people up onstage. A real rootsy neo-soul band with hip hop, Latin and reggae influences, LABJACD were fucking insane. The stage was packed with a vocal horn section, three drum kits including some funky tumblers and a sweet sounding woodblock, killer basslines and an electric guitar with haywire strings that looked like they’d been victims of a powerful curling iron. It was a great set. I was Josie in Never Been Kissed, the awkward chick bopping along with the choreographed girls in front.
Instrumental fusion three-piece Cookin’ On 3 Burners were up next. They were pretty good, a little repetitive but technically outstanding. Funk queen Kylie Auldist joined them onstage for a sing-along. Amazing as usual, the soul mama growled her way through the set, psyching her audience up for the equally powerful vocals of Soul Safari’s Lisa Faithfull.
After Cookin’ On 3 Burners finished, there was a tangible shift in the energy of the crowd. We had been standing on our feet since 8.30pm and we were getting restless. It was nearly 12.30am and Soul Safari were still yet to play. Luckily, just before I was about to succumb to my first granny yawn, Soul Safari appeared onstage.
After 15 or so minutes of sound check, Faithfull was received onstage by a giddy applause. A real softie under her colourful ink sleeves, Faithfull was more than appreciative of her crowd, thanking everyone for their attendance and support. The neo-soul heavyweights showcased their funky repertoire with acute professionalism and vigour. Pitch perfect and controlled, Soul Safari could easily handle their own against fellow funk acts like Saskwatch or The Bamboos.
They played mostly dance tracks, but when transitioning into slower jams like their new anticipated single The Weather, Soul Safari easily validated their versatility. The shift was effortless and Faithfull fluidly transformed from a playful puppy into a sincere storyteller. They played a great set and did more than solidify their position in the Melbourne soul scene, however like Saskwatch and The Bamboos, they are a tad generic in that they don’t really challenge their genre, in the way that a neo-soul band like Hiatus Kaiyote do. Although incredibly catchy, many of Safari’s tracks do have similar riffs and horn compositions, a trend that can lose a song’s autonomy. But what the hell, they sounded great and they were the front and centre of a ripper lineup.
Faithfull you were right – that was indeed the best collection of bands for a launch I’ve seen in a long time. On ya!
BY DINA AMIN
Loved: The drunken bogan vs security fight.
Hated: The drunken bogan vs security fight.
Drank: Strongbow.
