Gig Watch: Silverchair - Live at
Metro
By Chris
Wood
More Silverchair : Young
Modern - Album Review
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Saying
that the likely lads from Newcastle were "under pressure" on the back
of the mounting success of their 5th studio release could be considered
as the world's biggest understatement since it was suggested that Pete
Dogherty may have a drug problem.
This aside, expectations
were high (like many esteemed punters that evening), and the crowd knew
their almost unfathomable confidence in Silverchair’s triumphant return
was not misplaced.
The evening started off on a downer after
arriving at the Metro just in time to witness the highly anticipated
‘Dappled
Cities Fly’ packing up their gear. Oh well! At least there
was
still ample time to stake out a decent spot for the headline act, which
was made slightly easier by the fact that Silverchair’s prime audience
are 5-foot-2 ‘barely legals’.
Finding a spot where the stage was
only partially blocked by pillars (and delirious girls taking photos of
themselves at various angles that would make even Stanley Kubrick
wonder what the hell they were doing) was my first challenge of the
evening - mission accomplished. Next up, checking out the actual
band!
It appears that their most recent LP, "Young Modern"
is no exception to the trend of Silverchair’s inherent ability to
define a fresher sound and constantly re-invent themselves, with the
new material pushing the boundaries further than what was set on 2002’s
"Diorama".
The night erupted with the spasmodic pumping dance album
opener Young
Modern Station, which eloquently laid the foundations for
what to expect throughout the rest of the evening.
Anyone
not accepting of the most recent entry in the Silverchair story was in
for a great night (read with sarcastic tone for intended
effect).
Anyone
not convinced of these 3-novacastrians credibility by this stage soon
had their skepticism flattened by the whimsical wondrous meanderings of
the pop-ballad Low.
This
was the turning point of the evening for me. Despite Daniel Johns
looking like a homosexual version of Jack Sparrow in Pirates Of The Caribbean,
it was here that I paid attention and thought, ‘Shit. This is actually
a decent song. If the rest of their new stuff is half as good as this
then we could be in for one hell of a night.’ In terms of a live
performance, it was the most convincing display of tightness since my
dad stole sugar sachets from McDonalds.
Aurally, the gig was a
sonic masterpiece. The hypnotic dance beats and chiming piano
dwindlings coupled with Gillies thunderous rhythms, Joannu’s steady
bass blundellings, Johns heavenly vocal strains gelled better than
anyone in their right mind would have expected. They could not be
faulted. Whether it is years of playing together, some divine
intervention or Paul Mac not being a complete fucking waste of space,
Silverchair are definitely a formidable live entity. Daniel Johns
rarely faulted as he whined and waled the night away along with his
capable comrades. And the crowd loved every moment of it.
After a few more samples of the best new
stuff ‘The Chair’ had to offer, it was time to revisit "Diorama"
with The
Greatest View, Without You, Luv Your Life, Tuna in the Brine
and set closer The
World Upon Your Shoulders. Crowd favourite Freak also made a
long awaited appearance. However, the highlight of the night would have
to be the inclusion of Midnight Oil’s I Don’t Wanna Be The One.
Apparently
this is to be considered as evidence of Daniel Johns undeniable support
for former Oils frontman Peter Garrat. As much as this may possibly be
true, you can't help but get the feeling it has more to do
with
the fact that it’s a brilliant song, and that people like hearing it.
Something also tells me that Johns’ political sensibilities aren’t
terribly in tune, (if his joke about stoned wildlife was any
indication).
Some would criticise Silverchair for such a
blatant
disregard for some of their most important work. I for one was slightly
perturbed at the idea of only hearing a handful of classic songs from
their previous albums. In one respect, I suppose there is a certain
sense of artistic authenticity with deciding to push your new material
on an all too willing-to-listen audience. And that’s fair enough. No
one wants to hear the same list of songs every time the accounts are
wearing thin and a new tour is announced. But there has to be a point
where a bands personal opinion of a song (that made them famous and
rich as astronauts) does not deny their legions of fans (who are
willing to fork out $60) 3-and-a-half minutes of mid-nineties
memories.
The Violent Femmes, for instance, are one of
the
most highly regarded bands over the last 30 years. And (according to
all credible sources at my disposal) they still play Blister in the Sun
at all gigs with the intensity and vivacity that is unparalleled by any
other artist of their genre; almost to the point where they could be
mistaken for playing it for the first time. Now, you may be wondering
where I’m going with this. Well, allow me to make my argument
clear…PLAY TOMORROW
NEXT TIME!!!
This
aside, the show was still one of the best performances I’ve seen where
most of the time I had frig all clue as to what I was hearing. As much
I disagree with The Chairs' song choice policies, I was in awe of where
this band has come from and where they are heading. This appears to be
one of those cases where a band reinventing themselves hasn’t
compromised their artistic integrity.
Overall, great gig at
a venue that for some reason isn’t regarded to be in the same ilk as
other paramount live music venues. For Daniel Johns and the rest of
Silverchair, the future looks promising. Hope they’re not busy when the
ARIA’s
are in town…
Overall: 80%
Silverchair
are currently touring Australia, their latest LP is out now.
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