24/09/2004 @ the Studio
Double Happiness II featuring:
the Bird
2 Dogs
Hermitude
Caitlin Yeo
Friday night. Surely one of the strangest endings to a show. But I was there for the music. everything else is just waiting. you dig?
So rocking up to the opera house studio pretty close to opening time. Didn't even need to get my ticket out, somehow I managed to get in anyway. Gee I hate that. Makes me feel like I shouldn't have paid at all.
The turn out was not bad, it wasn't totally empty. We sat up top and chilled out for a while listening to 2SER's Masala and SBS radio's alchemy djs drop some Asian underground stylings.
Then Caitlin Yeo and Ben Walsh got on stage and on traditional Indonesian flutes and small handheld drum, and jammed out two songs to a backing tape. Interesting, most notably the idea of getting everyone to clap along to their own sound. It was a good idea while it lasted.
The djs got back into it and the crowd started moving. There was a good vibe in the crowd but I wasn't really feeling the music much. Sort of the opposite to the usual gig for me. i.e. I usually dig the music while the crowd holds back. So it�s a hip and happening crowd under the famous off-white sails of the opera house tonight.
Then the kooky electro kids from the Blue Mountains, Hermitude. Later in the night I will have a disagreement with someone else over these lads and their music. If my throat weren't hurting, I would have gone on and on. Basically, I reckon these lads have a bright future. Have seen them played out several times now and their fan base has been steadily growing each time. Swinging from boogie electro to down tempo hip-hop to lounge, it's the future sounds of Sydney. Even if it borrows from the past sounds of electro.
Resin dogs offshoot 2Dogs get up and lays down more Asian underground style dance music. Following the theme of the night quite closely, personally I felt somewhat to the set's detriment. Good music is everywhere, regardless of geography. No doubt there was some totally wicked tracks laid down that night. Sounds that I�d never heard before and was totally mind blowing. But those kind of tracks were in the minority. It was mostly a bit middle of the road kind of stuff. Funky hip-hop beat with a bit of a sitar sample on top is not that wild. If they just did their typical funky hip-hop set or went further leftfield/underground, it would have been more interesting.
Second time seeing the Bird within 7 days. Yeah you can say I�m a fan. Tonight with extras in the form of the Singh brothers crossing over from side project Dha to be on vocals and tabla. And a dancer! The crowd tonight is generally better than last week's show. More friendly smiling faces, less problems from drunken uni dropout losers. And more space to move way up front! But with the Singh brothers in tow, the set shifted aim away from just rocking out a bunch of drunken, feral rock festival kids to showcasing skilled tabla playing and how that can fit in oh so nicely with the Bird's blend of live drum'n bass. Yes, that's all good and stuff. But I�m just a stupid uni dropout loser and all I really wanted was rough and rocking live drum'n bass. With the tabla involved, there's more (relatively) calmer moments, as admitted by Ben the drummer himself that certain compromises has to be made so the drums don't overwhelm the quieter tabla. Simon the keyboard player didn't even get a bass line solo. Outrageous! Good thing though that the Hermitude lads got to sneak back on stage for a final jam with the Bird. So 'round the end the electronic component came back up to the surface, with two keyboards and turntables restoring the balance against the drums and tablas. If only for the very last tune.
And it was good. But they have done better and it�s a shame to say the tabla now feels like a gimmick as opposed to a real worthy addition to the sound of the Bird. That is speaking from the perspective of someone looking for a live dance act to lift the roof of any building, not someone particularly interested in traditional music. I say bring on more wicked bass lines, some turntable scratching now and then, and bring back the double bass.