Disco Entertainment & Romance in my pants took a gamble on what they thought was meant to be all systems go, having received the all clear from the authorities. Contingencies were in place for the safety of all with security guards roaming the venue and a disclaimer stating, ‘STRICTLY NO GLASS. CANS AND PLASTIC ONLY. MIXERS AVAILABLE ON THE NIGHT. STRICTLY NO ALCOHOL SOLD, this is a private party’.

The subtle venue location, tucked off the northern end of the valley, was fitting as many party goers were uncertain as to exactly what a warehouse party entailed.

The night kicked off as expected with Brisbane’s ‘next big thing’, Montpelier, taking stage and wowing those who had ‘fortunately’ arrived early. Montpelier played an energetic set to the backdrop of graffiti scattered walls, a light show and a rotation of projected images on the concrete background. The platform was set for the night, with everyone just getting warmed up for the explosiveness to come from both Comic Sans and DZ.

The DJ set post Montpelier had just kicked off when the organisers were confronted with authorities wanting to shut the gig down. Organisers frantically tried to mediate, pleading to allow the gig to go ahead, but to no avail. All fans left the venue confused as to why ‘the man’ seems intent on limiting this unique (and awesome) sub-culture.

A warehouse party like Friday night adds an edge to the already vibrant live music scene in Brisbane. It’s disappointing those in positions of power can ruin a sub-culture that has the support of many.

Warehouse parties will happen.

BYO Warehouse Party – Montpelier Pictures

There were plenty of stomping movements on the dance floor while most people exerted short bursts of energy before retreating to the smokers section. The Arcade Creative have proven they can still draw a crowd on nights where you wouldn’t expect it. Billing only the most energetic of artists, this mob leaves us asking, what next?

Surkin + Burns Photos

Fast forward four years and OK Go have just released their third studio album, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky. In promotion, the band teamed with Brisbane’s Hungry Kids of Hungary to continue their incessant touring, arriving at the Hi Fi in Brisbane last Wednesday night.

Instantly the stage was set for an entertaining show. A table full of church bells sat stage left, leaving many to ponder what song was to be complimented with the heavenly sound. As OK Go began their thoroughly entertaining set, the influence of producer Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips) was evident. Confetti, microphone camera’s and an all-round audio visual feast engulfed the crowd. Lead singer, Damian Kulash, recalled small anecdotes throughout, treading a fine line between funny and awkward, but always pulling it of at the last minute. OK Go’s latest single, This Too Shall Pass was the highlight of the night, along with WTF and Get Over It, and of course, Here it goes again.

As usual, Hungry Kids of Hungary were fantastic. Their catchy, hook laden indie-pop brought the crowd toward the stage, creating a perfect lead-in for the headline act. Honestly, If you live in Brisbane and haven’t seen these guys, get along to their next gig.

My only complaint of the night was the fact that no treadmills were in sight.

Pictures

OK Go – This Too Shall Pass

OK Go – This Too Shall Pass from OK Go on Vimeo.

The weather on both days brought blue skies, with the heat kept at bay as the festival drifted into late afternoon. Those lucky enough to escape the grasp of their employees (myself included) were able to stroll through the city and witness some amazing performances from the likes of Moby, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Temper Trap, Grizzly Bear and The Editors to name a few.

Check out some photos from the Festival!

DZ

DZ

Now, if you mustn’t judge a book by its cover are you allowed to judge a band by its fans? Because, the emphatic UK support was almost impossible to miss amidst an animated conversation in the bathroom between recent acquaintances about the 1-all draw between Rangers and Celtic the night before, or the constant chanting about The View and a fire. The combination left me with warm ears, a comfortable exterior and an ensuing anticipation of The View behind the curtains.

The View

The View

The band stormed out and proceeded to bombard the room of adoring fans with successive hits in 5Rebbecas and Wasted Little DJs. However, the next 45 minutes of music went by in an indistinguishable blur with subtle differences in melody being masked by the constant clattering of the rhythm guitar. Nonetheless, the two frontmen, Falconer and Webster, had great stage chemistry and created a solid rapport with the diehards in the front row. The current hit Shock Horror was probably my highlight and concluded a decent performance but it always felt like something was missing… A Chelsea Dagger perhaps??

The View

The View

The View

The View

The View

The View

The View

My day started out with James Morrison. I knew he was a household name for those in there later stage of their lives, however he was an act I was really intrigued to see. I wasn’t at all disappointed with his jazzy performance on both keys and the trumpet. The audience was kept on the edge of their seats, with one highlight being a completely improvisatory version of an old favourite with his supporting band.

James Morrison

There were so many acts and performances to be seen across the festival it was impossible to catch all of them. There was such a large range encountered, from highly esteemed female guitarist Kaki King to Lothlorien. Lisa Mitchell drew a large crowd, who were very responsive to her floating melodies and cheeky vocals, as she performed a set largely off her recently released album.

Lisa Mitchell

The Middle East, although encountering early difficulties with sound technicalities, quickly settled in to delivering a heartfelt performance. Their musical prowess was obvious through their mastering of flawless harmonies, as well as their continual display of instrumental versatility amongst the band members. They had the large crowd entertained thoroughly for the entire set, especially when they pumped out their hit single, ‘Blood’, with the entire audience singing along.

The Middle East

The Middle East

The Middle East

As the sun set on the horizon and the moon graced the night sky my focus turned to the natural amphitheater.

I was itching to see John Butler Trio in the amphitheater as I had only previously seen them at the Big Day Out. The open setting of the Big Day Out didn’t do them any justice. How my view completely changed. Under the night stars in the drizzling rain the packed out amphitheater saw JBT explode onto the stage with his guitaring abilities, crowd involvement and hits of, ‘Zebra’, ‘Better Than’, and ‘Funky Tonight’. The entire band seamlessly jammed for the entire hour and a bit set with improvisation being the essence of their live performance. The crowed walked away having witnessed one of the best live acts in recent times.

The John Butler Trio

The John Butler Trio

To close an eventful one day outing at Woodford, I stayed in the amphitheater to witness one of the best acts of 2009, Hungry Kids of Hungary. These guys had a tough act to follow, admitting its themselves by stating, ‘How good was John Butler Trio!’. Not letting the rain deter them (or the crowd), they broke into their hits and singles which brought the crowd of loyal supporters back to life with the likes of, ‘Let You Down’, ‘Old Money’, and ‘Set It Right’. On the many occasions I have seen these guys, their awesome rendition of MIA’s, ‘Papers Planes’ has yet to fail in whipping the crowd into a frenzy. The night and one day outing could not have been complete without HKOH closing the set with their Triple J Hottest 100 nominated single, ‘Scattered Diamonds’.

Hungry Kids of Hungary

Hungry Kids of Hungary

Hungry Kids of Hungary

Hungry Kids of Hungary

Hungry Kids of Hungary

Hungry Kids of Hungary

Montpelier

The incredibly talented Stu Larsen and equally sublime Lydia Cole opened the evening with an array of pitch-perfect songs. Both artists combined on their own original tracks, with Stu Larsen’s ‘Music Is My Mistress‘ a personal highlight. Familiar with The Troubadour, Stu Larsen supported Boy and Bear only a month earlier.

Stu Larsen & Lydia Cole

Next up were Brisbane’s own ‘Tin Can Radio’. This was the first time I’d seen or heard of these guys, so my mind was open and expectations unknown. Let me tell you, it was an experience! I mentioned to a friend during their set, ‘A third of this band I absolutely love, the second third I don’t like, and the final third I just don’t get!’. At times, a sound reminiscent of early Incubus was settled upon, only to transform in an instant, shooting off on a tangent of folk sensibilities or electronic ambience accompanied by a somewhat improvised rap. As the set went on however, I found myself tapping my feet and singing along to lyrics I barely knew. The crowd was whipped into a frenzy and by the end the usually seated Troubadour crowd was dancing and singing as one; truely a sight to behold. Perhaps I’ll have to rethink my ratio.

Tin Can Radio

By the time Montpelier were set up on stage, the crowd had crept forward, with those previously sitting (despite Tin Can Radio’s best efforts!) now on their feet, crammed toward the front of The Troubadour’s slender corridor. Dressed in clothing from Brisbane’s own, Subfusco, the guys looked the part. It was evident in an instant that the fans had all been eagerly waiting for the main act and Montpelier duly delivered.

The opening riff was greeted with rapturous appreciation. Stu Larsen joined the band on stage for fan favourite, ‘The Rafters‘, with the majority of the crowd singing along word-for-word. Andrew Stone lead the extended intro on keys, accompanied by John Pickering on drums, building the anticipation and sound to a crescendo before Dave Butler launched into the song. Another highlight was the stirring track, ‘Last Boat‘ lead by Greg Chiapello’s strong vocals. The tour single ‘Take a Picture‘ was well recieved by the audience, many of whom seemed to have already had a sneak peak, as the sing-a-long continued.

An encore was demanded and Montpelier oblidged, with Andrew and Greg switching positions as Keyboardist and Bassist, respectively, for the final song.

It was a fantastic night for music. In particular, Brisbane music. It felt as though Montpelier had arrived. 2009 has been the beginning, and 2010 looks set to be the breakthrough year for the band. As Simon Topper from Rave Magazine wrote, “I’m scribbling their name down as the next ‘must see’ local act” – and you should to.

Here are some pictures from the evening:

Montpelier

Greg Chiapello - Montpelier

Andrew Stone - Montpelier

Greg Chiapello - Montpelier

Dave Butler - Montpelier

Greg Chiapello - Montpelier

John Pickering - Montpelier

Dave Butler - Montpelier

Greg Chiapello - Montpelier

Andrew Stone - Montpelier

Greg Chiapello - Montpelier

Montpelier

John Pickering - Montpelier

Montpelier

Dave Butler - Montpelier

Tin Can Radio

Tin Can Radio

Tin Can Radio

Tin Can Radio

Stu Larsen & Lydia Cole