Having just packed out two shows at the Northcote Social Club in their home city of Melbourne, Alpine were on a mission to maintain the momentum of their 'Villages' tour on its Adelaide stopover at Jive. With the critical and broadcast success of debut EP Zurich well and truly in the bank, the 6-piece appear comfortable and content on keeping things intimate, although this show was a step-up from their previous appearance in this city at the much-smaller Ed Castle Hotel. The crowd was to dictate this point further, as a wide array of mums, indies and moshers converged on the venue in the hope of an enlightening performance on a consequently icy evening.
A small but enthusiastic congregation came together to witness locals City Riots put on their second major support slot in a matter of days at the same venue no less. Having been third in line for Papa Vs. Pretty’s Adelaide appearance two days earlier, and now opening for another touring act in Alpine, I would be expecting a headline slot in the coming days if the trend were to continue. Many in this city are beginning to warm to the local hopefuls, who continue to churn out tight performances each time they take the stage. The blend of deep synths with their unabashed rock sound make for pleasurable listening on older tracks, such as She Never Wants To Dance, and the newer beasts, which are beginning to sound like radio staples almost immediately. With new single In My Head gaining regular airtime and their touring juggernaut set to continue in support of Ball Park Music later this month, don’t expect City Riots to leave your radar anytime soon.
It certainly appeared as though Alpine have made an impact on Adelaide audiences as more people began to wander into Jive following their performance. Though by the time they’d hit the stage, the attendance was incomparable to the band’s Melbourne shows, demonstrating the fact that this city still perhaps neglects great talent in a live format on occasion. Opening energetically with Heartlove, Alpine instantaneously relieved themselves of any inhibitions and set about enjoying every moment of their time on a Jive stage made to seem tiny once filled with the band’s instruments and stage presence. That stage presence is dominated by vocalists Lou James and Phoebe Baker, who, when in full flight, are impossible not to become engaged with. Baker flies around the minimal space available in an ethereal manner, while James largely holds her position behind the microphone, content to rest on her delicate vocal range that, in tandem with her band-mate, really carves out the essence of Alpine’s uniqueness. Once the band rocks out, watching all members move around the stage is simply captivating, as they create music that you really feel rather simply hear.
Tracks from their debut EP Zurich were well represented this evening, with Too Safe possibly the most enjoyable of the lot with its slow and enthralling build-up. The level of crowd participation continued to grow as the band aired a number of as yet unreleased tracks that were well-received amongst the enthusiastic patrons. It is almost scary to think of the havoc that could be caused once the band begin putting together a full-length release after viewing some of its newer material on this occasion. Closer and notable single Villages demonstrates Alpine’s ability to make the simple sound completely grand; the song slowly creeps along courtesy of some 80s inspired synthetic rhythms and elegant harmonies, then suddenly rushes out in a wash of light keyboards, acoustic drumming and raw energy from all involved to create a real pop masterpiece. It is no surprise that the crowd did not want the show to end there. The band’s drummer leapt out and asked if the Adelaide audience wanted one more song, to which they requested and Alpine subsequently obliged. Though I did not catch the name of the song, their performance of an INXS cover slotted in well with the band’s sound and ensured everyone was left cheerful as they meandered into the realms of another Saturday night.
It’s not often in this setting a band can unravel folded arms and genuinely make people want to move to its music, yet Alpine succeeded in making sure everyone in their presence felt involved in what they were watching. The ability to make a crowd consider itself part of the overall experience is the best element of live music, and thankfully, we were witnesses to this tonight. Thank you Alpine, please adorn our fair city again sometime soon.
Take a look at the band's cinematic video for 'Villages' here:
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