For close to 30 years now, Australian audiences have had a near-immeasurable amount of chances to understand just what it is that makes Something For Kate one of the country’s finest bands.
For the lion’s share of that time, the group comprised guitarist and vocalist Paul Dempsey, bassist Stephanie Ashworth, and drummer Clint Hyndman, but the band’s formative years looked a little different.
Recently, Dempsey looked back on the group’s earliest years, discussing their formation, their earliest releases, and the departure of bassist Julian Carroll, who departed amicably following the recording of their debut album, Elsewhere For 8 Minutes, in 1997.
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25 years later, the group have taken another look back, plotting a three-date tour that sees them performing that first record in full, along with a handful of other classics. What’s more, the group also pared down for these dates, stripping back their regular lineup – which usually comprises Adrian Stoyles and Olivia Bartley – to return to the three-piece format that we’ve not seen since the end of the 20th century.
With the group playing a hometown show on August 26th, it was clear to all and sundry that it was on track to be a truly special affair.
Underlining this fact, the band enlisted Tom Lyngcoln, frontman of the likes of The Nation Blue, Harmony, and Down Under, to open affairs. Lyngcoln himself is the sort of performer who – thanks to his arresting presence – warrants a special mention any time he takes to the stage, and no more was this illustrated in the beautiful ornate ballroom of the Northcote Theatre this Friday night.
Kicking off his set with a dizzyingly-dissonant instrumental piece, Lyngcoln surely jolted a few unsuspecting fans awake as he powered into the bill of his set, pairing distorted instrumentals with the visceral imagery delivered via his forceful voice.
A consummate performer at all times, Lyngcoln’s mesmerising set wasn’t short of humour or course. Of note was the surrealistic moment in which, as he repeated the lyric “Love is my medicine”, he removed his shirt and pants, revealing another outfit – the exact same – hiding underneath.
Wrapping up his set by swapping his guitars for a transparent green number, Lyngcoln was as incandescent as his instrument, with lengthy solos and strong vocals being complemented by his dizzying finale; screaming the final bars into his guitar’s pickup, creating an almost apocalyptic musical effect with which to say goodbye.
As Something For Kate took to the stage to rapturous applause, the unique nature of the evening came into full view. For one thing, Elsewhere For 8 Minutes stands alone as a special entry in their catalogue. It’s their heaviest, their loudest, arguably their most experimental, and easily unlike nothing that would come after. But still, it comprises the classic Something For Kate instrumentation and songwriting that would become hallmarks of their career. Thus, you couldn’t miss this night if you were a fan.
Performing the record in track order, opening track ‘Anarchitect’ soon gave way to the fan-favourite ‘Pinstripe’. Usually the subject of numerous, repeated, and rarely-indulged fan requests, the presence of ‘Pinstripe’ (itself one of the greatest Aussie tracks of all time) felt as though the encore had come early, yet only further underlined the pure majesty of Something For Kate and how they work as a group of musicians.
Typically, the group’s sets rarely delve into their earlier work, with ‘Captain (Million Miles An Hour)’ the only track from this record to get any regular live airplay. As such, the evening became a chance for fans not to bask in the presence of frequent live staples, but to experience tracks that are rarely – if ever – included in the set. One example being ‘Glass Timing’, whose appearance in the setlist was its second-ever performance.
Returning for their encore following the completion of the record, it was a great chance for the group to showcase their early work, but not without a classic cover, too. Reviving their iconic rendition of Hazel’s ‘Truly’ (itself an oft-repeated, rarely-indulged request), the five-track encore was a masterclass of deep cuts, comprising ‘Chapel St. Etc’, ‘Dean Martin’, and the opening tracks to their 1996 …The Answer To Both Your Questions EP, ‘Subject To Change’ and ‘Higher Than You Think’.
For longtime fans of Something For Kate, this was a chance to relive one of the group’s most ferocious and formative eras, yet for nascent or casual fans, it was a rare chance to see the group performing stellar tracks that rarely make a return to the setlist.
But whichever side of the fence you’re on, there’s no denying Something For Kate’s status as one of the country’s finest bands, one or off the stage.
And in case you need proof, chuck on Elsewhere For 8 Minutes and transport yourself to the Northcote Theatre to relive the experience.
