Friday night marked Brisbane group The John Steel Singers‘ final ever show in Sydney, following the band’s decision to turn their latest tour – celebrating the release of their new LP Midnight At The Plutonium – into something of a farewell jaunt. It was a move that shocked fans, but one that ensure they came out in droves for one final hurrah for the band on the road.
Melbourne singer/songwriter Alex Lahey was playing with her band as I arrived at the Newtown Social Club on Friday night, proving herself to be worth every bit of buzz she’s been accumulating over the last year. Her and her three piece band are showing themselves off to be an incredibly polished outfit, and they’ve managed to construct a near perfect set; there isn’t a dud song from start to finish, and her voice is impeccable.
She delivered a perfect break up song in “Leave Me Alone”, a wholly memorable line in “Wes Anderson” (“you’re the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had”) and one of the best named songs I’ve heard in recent memory, “Perth Traumatic Stress Disorder”. Meanwhile, “Every Day’s a Weekend” (a song which she admitted revolved around a falsehood), brought back some mid-90’s No Doubt vibes – which was very welcome indeed. If this is a sign of what we’ll be hearing from the young artist in the months ahead, she is going to be a force to be reckoned with. Say hello to Australia’s next big thing.
While many had their first chance to say hello to Alex, tonight was all about saying goodbye to Brisbane’s The John Steel Singers, who are on the road for one last time to show off songs from their brilliant, often daring LP Midnight At The Plutonium and plenty of tunes from their back catalogue. With their manager Maggie Collins (who they credited with being the only reason the band stayed together until this point) now based in Sydney, it felt pretty close to being a hometown show – though they already ticked that off the list earlier in the tour. Maggie joined the band at the end of the set for “Rainbow Kraut” (which she had supplied vocals for in the original recording, and you’ll spot her in its original video) and the crowd was full of friends and fans who have watched this band grow into one of the finest groups in the country.
The band, who these days operate as a permanent five piece, had two extras along for the ride – Kirsty Tickle on saxophone and vocals and Jonathan Boulet on percussion (which translates to “just about everything he could find on the stage”). The set kicked off with three tracks from their new record; songs that show just how far this band has come instrumentally and conceptually. The new music shines bright live, though the show really kicks into gear when they start to throw in the high energy brass as in “Masochist”, and proceeded to only get better as the night continued and the band jammed through tracks that included the first single from their latest LP, “Weekend Lover”. And I deliver the word ‘jammed’ with meaning, because when this band get going, they deliver a world of beautiful noise up on that stage. It’s sad to this that this will be the last time I get to enjoy that.
After saying goodbye in recent years to other great Brisbane groups like The Cairos, Hungry Kids of Hungary and now even The Butterfly Effect – groups that have defined the northern state for the better part of the last decade (and more) – this feels, most certainly, the end of an era. Going off the Facebook post that announced their intentions to stop touring, however, we should expect the band to pull a Beatles and continue producing music together, sans touring, which is welcome news. Their latest record proves that they are a band who never got comfortable with one sound, and were always trying to evolve as musicians. Though songs off of their 2010 debut record Tangalooma like “Overpass” and “Rainbow Kraut”, which ended the set, are notably their most popular, their albums have only gotten better over time. And so too has their live prowess. This can’t be the end of the story can it?
Well, for now at least… Goodnight, sweet Singers. I can’t wait to see what you all get up to next.
The John Steel Singers performed at the Newtown Social Club on Friday night, August 26th. The band round up their final tour next weekend, at the Jive in Adelaide on Friday, 2nd September and at the Amplifier Bar in Perth on Saturday, 3rd September. Alex Lahey will appear at both shows. For tickets and more details head to their Facebook Page. Midnight At The Plutonium is out now.
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