Live Review

The John Steel Singers @ The Triffid, 6th November 2015

One of Brisbane's relatively newer musical establishments, The Triffid, with it's ex-aircraft hangar confines and ultra impressive acoustics (it's loud and clear but you can actually hear the person next to you!), is the perfect venue to showcase this evening's headline act, Brisbane's beloved John Steel Singers.

And as the kaleidoscopic dream poppers assume their on-stage positions a sense of palpable excitement hangs in the air, brought about by the realisation that tonight we're being treated to a deluxe ensemble version of the band, the five piece padded out with the addition of female backing vocalists, as well as support act Jonathan Boulet on additional percussion together with his saxophonist, both doubling up tonight from their impressive support slot.

And it's a joyful sense of playfulness and unironic wonderment which inhabits the bodies, souls and music of the ten headed collective representing the John Steel moniker tonight. The band who brought us the Tangalooma and Everything's A Thread records (the former produced by none other than Go Betweens legend Robert Forster) are about to drop album number three, the intriguingly titled Midnight at the Plutonium, which is strongly rumoured to be heading into a smoother, funkier direction, described recently as 'Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Yacht Club Band' in the words of keyboard player and trombonist Pete Bernoth.

And they lay down the funk gauntlet early on tonight in the form of dance friendly new single Weekend Lover, with it's celebratory, Jamioquai style good time vibes and 'raise your hands in the air' chorus putting everyone in the room into the aural pleasure zone. Another major strength of the band is their gorgeous vocal interplay, and tonight their wondrous high falsetto harmonies bring to mind none other than famous BrisVegas musical export the Bee Gees.

While exhibiting their newly evolving, funkier tendencies to impressive effect throughout their joyous set, the band also conjure a bunch of musical delights from their original sound oeuvre, the highlight for this reviewer being the sprawlingly impressive Rainbow Kraut, which locks into an unrelenting, mantra like groove while the band gloriously channel their multi faceted cosmic harmonics. Quirky, catchy and borne of Brisbane, the presence of another of their home town's finest musical exports, the newly reborn Custard, also imbibes the vibes of tonight's proceedings.

With the amount of talent onstage there's also plenty going on to catch one's eye as well as ear, from the rabid beard and sunglasses at night stylings of co-frontman Tim Morrissey through to the uncanny resemblance to each other, complemented by matching outfits, of drummer Ross Chandler and guitarist/keyboardist Luke McDonald.

Closing in fast on their ten year anniversary, tonight The John Steel Singers display a chameleon like ability to switch seamlessly between musical genres and generations both old and new, all the while keeping things tight and eclectic - a super-sized smorgasbord of aural delights from a super talented bunch!

- Anthony Gebhardt

Reviews

Quick Listens

Sasha Čuha: about 'Svetozar!' & electric gusle

4ZZZ's interview with Kevin Borich

4ZZZ's radio drama 'Connie' by Joel Quick

4ZZZ's radio drama 'Morph' by Kathryn Rothe

Opera at 4ZZZ with Milijana Nikolic, mezzo-soprano & Rosario La Spina, tenor

LISI + QLD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Join Forces

TWO DIVAS: Eva Kong & Asabi Goodman in Jazz meets the Opera concert

Voice acting by artist Ri McLean: radio drama 'Return' by Stephen Gale

Synthony hitting Riverstage Brisbane

Bardon Community Markets

SuburbiaSuburbia: Rock MUSIC, ART and SATIRE from the AU Suburbs

'My Gypsy Soul' show - Milijana Nikolic & Zokki Bugarski

Crowd Control: Stand up comedy improv competition

Aunty Donna interview: Brisbane show in Oct 2021

Eurovision Song Contest 2021 - review by Blair Martin

Gina Vanderpump - Miss Sportsman Hotel

4ZZZ's 45th Birthday special by Alex Oliver

Nazo Nazarian interview: music, culture & history

Opera Gala Concert in Brisbane: Life, love, passion

Oskar & Andy interview The Immigrants: 4ZZZ subscriber band

El Vito by Marina Poša

4ZZZ Interview: GLOBAL BANDEMIC: Worldwide Free Live Stream event

HOTA Takes Their Rage Online: Interview with Virginia Hyam, HOTA Head of Programming

Interview with Criena Gehrke CEO at HOTA about HOTA Artist Fund – Rage Against The V(irus)

Jack Vidgen - Eurovision: Australia Decides 2020

Jaguar Jonze - Eurovision: Australia Decides 2020

Mitch Tambo - Eurovision: Australia Decides 2020

Didirri - Eurovision: Australia Decides 2020

iOTA - Eurovision: Australia Decides 2020

Boban Markovic Orkestar on Balkan Beats Zed Digital / 4ZZZ

LIVE
100