British India, City Riots, Galleon, The Gov, 26/6/2010

As formidable a touring act as British India are, I had never experienced their live show in full flight before, and my anticipation of a great night was certainly high. It seems like the band are never far from the Australian music radar. Whether they’re releasing a new album or touring the country from corner to corner, the past 4 years have been a constant musical journey for the Melbourne lads. This continuous cycle is what has made them so popular in the eyes of music lovers and critics alike, with their brand of garage rock garnering a massive fan base since their sudden rise to fame, while also allowing them to become indie-mainstays throughout the country. And judging by the turnout at the band’s second Adelaide show on this tour, it appeared that their third album, Avalanche, had well and truly kept the fans coming back for more.

It was great to see two rising Adelaide bands opening the night, and it definitely proved that this city is churning out some truly great acts. First up were the band formerly known as Foreshore, Galleon, who warmed up the crowd with their brand of anthemic rock. The band have recently been recording with members from former Melbourne act Motorace, and the similarities between the two bands were certainly evident on the night. Stand out tracks included In Stereo and current single Kamikaze, which has gained some Triple J airplay as the boys subtly alluded to. It was somewhat ironic that the band delivered a track name Nothing Really Happens, based around the supposed lack of talent coming out of the Adelaide music scene. It appears that, with a new album to be released soon, Galleon will certainly have things happening for them in the latter half of 2010.

Next up was 4-piece pop-punkers City Riots, who livened up the building crowd with a tight and professional set. The band have been a shining light to come out of Adelaide in the past few years, with travels to America and Europe certainly enhancing their live performance and ensuring the majority of the front row had their dancing shoes on. However, as energetic and tight as the show was, the band seemed relatively uninspiring at times and perhaps lacked any variation in their sound to keep the back of the room interested. Nonetheless, the band showed enough promise throughout the set to ensure they will continue to grow, closing the set with new single She Never Wants to Dance, Let’s hope that these two bands can continue to fly the flag for the Adelaide music scene in 2010.

The British India boys walked out to a rapturous reception, and as soon as the first bars of 90 Ways to Leave Your Lover were solidly belted out, I knew that this crowd was in for something special. Frontman Declan Melia opened the set wearing a hooded jumper as if it were a cape; fitting, as his voice can at times be somewhat super-human when at its most raw. Old favourites Tie Up My Hands and Run The Red Light soon followed, with the mosh pit slowly gaining a high level of intensity. The hits continued to roll out, with the band’s most recent single Avalanche certainly living up to its name, It is incredible to note how the raw British India sound that served them so well in their early days has still remained throughout their three releases, and considering the amount of bands looking to produce a sound like theirs, the band have stuck to their guns and continued pumping out catchy songs and appealing to their fans on a constant basis.

One exception to this statement is the first single to come from Avalanche, Vanilla, which is arguably the best song the boys have produced over the journey. The track ascends and descends with speed, allowing the crowd to both sing along in the slower parts and mosh to their heart’s content when the song reaches its heavier moments. Songs from the band’s second album, Thieves, were also on show, with God Is Dead (Meet The Kids), This Dance Is Loaded, and I Said I’m Sorry all delivered with absolute conviction. The latter showed how well Melia and fellow guitarist Nic Wilson worked together to establish the band’s heavy guitar sound, with both the lead and rhythmic elements considerably enhanced in a live format. And just when many though the night couldn’t get any better, British India produce a ravaging cover of the Beastie Boys track Fight For Your Right (To Party!), representing exactly what many crowd and band members alike were there to do. The set was finished with an ode to the older fans in Black and White Radio, and the set was well and truly complete.

It was a shame that many fans were seemingly let down by one member of the audience in the front row who managed to rattle the British India boys and was ultimately removed from the crowd, with this possibly being the reason why the band didn’t produce an encore. However, no encore was required. The boys had done their job, offering a solid performance and further stamping their claim as one of Australia’s premier live rock acts. It is a testament to the group’s hard work ethic that they have been so successful to date, and will ensure their stability in the Australian music scene for some time yet.