My first Old Man River experience was back in 2007, on a Sunday afternoon, with the band riding high on the back of their debut LP ‘Good Morning’. I remember the great joy and musicianship that Ohad Rein and the other band members conveyed through their songs and how comfortable the band was on stage. Fast forward to 2010 and, after topping the charts in countries as diverse as Japan, Italy, and Germany, Old Man River was at last back on the road 2 years after last touring Australia.
Perth band The Chemist appeared first and kicked things off nicely with their off-kilter style of indie-pop, showing they are a band to watch out for in future years. Their set built up gradually and finished with a heavy echoing conglomerate of noise that rang out throughout the venue.
Next up was Ernest Ellis from Sydney. This band has been making waves recently after receiving a large amount of radio airplay, so I was quite excited to view the band in the flesh. As it were, they were extremely impressive, even considering the fact they were without a keyboard player on the night, which Ernest did apologise to the crowd for. The apology was unwarranted though, as the band’s live sound in a 3-piece set-up made their show all the more dynamic. The thing that really struck me was the passion displayed by all three members, with pulsating drums and almost U2-like riffs, coupled with Ernest’s knack for writing thoughtful lyrics, particularly shining through on songs like Heading For The Cold and set-closer Loveless.
The PA system had a collection of songs from The Beatles playing during the interval that preceded Old Man River’s appearance, and suddenly the mood became a lot warmer. The band appeared and opened straight up with 3 tracks from their first album in Sunshine, Believe It and Better Place. Ohad then followed with a solo acoustic number that was played to a silent and attentive audience and, by the third chorus, the majority of the crowd was singing along with the heartfelt track.
Things soon kicked back into gear, with the band road-testing songs from their upcoming new album Trust. Many of the songs went down well with the small but enthusiastic patrons, with new single You’re On My Mind gaining a warm reception. However, the biggest response was left for the older songs, with the band playing Summer towards the end of the night. The encore was brief but the band’s rendition of La had everyone on their feet and jumping around without a care. Members of the other two support bands came on stage to help out by playing any instrument they could get their hands on, and the crowd’s participation was particularly useful when it came to creating a mash of animal noises and generally left everyone in an upbeat mood as they left Jive.
Although the set-up and band members had changed since their last trip around Australia, Old Man River still stayed true to their sound and filled the room with a rockier, more permeating sound that will surely be fulfilled in the group’s new album.
No comments:
Post a Comment