The Clean are a band I’ve idolised for a while now. My girlfriend introduced me to them about four or five years ago and to me, they just made sense. They sat so perfectly between the steady beat bands of the post punk/new wave era and the familiar droning sound that typified ‘90s alternative rock. If your music informs the likes of Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo, you’re probably going to find fans that ordinarily wouldn’t have sought you out. People who have purposefully gone through the anthology after hearing that those acts owe so much to The Clean. That connection alone, between them and those 90’s luminaries, is enough to build big hopes when you go to see them live. Perhaps that’s why I was so disappointed when I first saw them at Golden Plains a few years back. I hoped it would be different this time.
Ausmuteants were the first act of the night on a rather diverse bill. They definitely have grown. A fifth member has crawled out of whichever toxic cavity the rest of that ill conceived and thoughtless band spilled out of. With two synths on stage now, Ausmuteants are even more abrasive and less intelligible than they were before. It’s not a very comfortable set to watch. They might be the best punk band in Australia.
Following Ausmuteants were Lower Plenty, one of the 27 bands Al Montfort contributes to. Everyone was very impressed at how many chords he knew and at how (for the most part) they didn’t sound like UV Race. The band’s also comprised of members of Deaf Wish and The Focus, so it’s something of a local super group. They’ve taken Australiana a step further and stripped the amplified guitars from the sound entirely. It’s a very sombre and slow moving set with peaks and troughs that are carefully placed. Songwriting that looks back at people like Paul Kelly and says ‘punk dudes can play cowboy chords too.’ Though their set finished early, I wasn’t upset, it gave me an opportunity to run into the front bar and get a look at the halftime score of Australia’s quarter final match in the Asia Cup (thanks for the memories, Timmy Cahill).
When The Clean took the stage immediately I feared I’d be disappointed. Or the horrific dancing that was occurring next to me (before any music was even playing) would ruin my night. Constant shoving is tolerable, but an infrequent elbow to the ribs is really frustrating. I could feel the sweat on his elbows, sometimes there was so much that they’d slip right off me like a cyclist on tram tracks in the rain. But no amount of sweat or Brylcreem could ruin my night. From the very start, while they were rather sloppy, The Clean held the attention and the imagination of the entire crowd. It wasn’t a rowdy affair, but the applause at the conclusion of each song was evidence that the crowd was really on their side, and aside from a couple of predictable jokes about Australia that you hear all too often come from the mouths of jealous Kiwis, it seemed like they were pretty thrilled with the level of support they were getting. Each track moved for at least double the amount of time it did on the record. The deep droning guitars weren’t quite as thick or big as the sounds of any of those ‘90s bands they informed which is why they seem so unique. There’s something very grassroots about them; they’re necessarily suited to big stages. They fit on The Corner stage well. Australia won that night and I didn’t get a parking ticket.
BY KEATS MULLIGAN
Loved: The subtle digs at Australia.
Hated: The scheduling of Australia’s must-win elimination final at the Asia Cup.
Drank: Drove.
