Eddy Current Suppression Ring

Roar Sounds
Melbourne Zoo
February 19, 2009

It’s always good to see that despite the global financial crisis, despite the threat of terrorism and nuclear destruction, through change of government and change of climate, that one class of people, one community, will rise above the heartache and heartbreak and conquer all. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: The Punter.

Their focus, dedication and loyalty to the cause separates them from the rest of humanity and on Thursday night, at the Melbourne Zoo, they were out in full force to bask in a balmy evening of booze, food and rock’n'roll.

First cab of the rank was Tame Impala. I had been spruiking these guys to friends all week, telling them to make sure they get there early etc etc. So staggering in near the end of their set was a major disappointment, but consistent with my overall tardiness. I’d been lucky enough to catch these guys a couple of times and with the big sound they deliver, it’s hard not to stop what you are doing and award them your undivided attention. Their 60s-influenced psychedelic sound is a refreshing change to the bland electro-pop that seems to be flooding the music stores at the moment. Interestingly enough, a few recent reviews have painted them with the ‘Hendrix’ brush – as if it’s a negative thing to sound like Jimi! Crazy times we live in, kids. I still get a kick out of their version of Blue Boy’s ‘Remember Me’ and more so the crowd’s reaction when they cotton on to what they are hearing. Smiles all round.

By the time Eddy Current Suppression Ring came on (and with the obligatory Wally Meanie sighting checked off the ‘You Know Your At a Melbourne Gig’ list) we, The Punters, were ready to be sonically assaulted.

Now I ask you, is there a better live band going around at the moment than Eddy Current Suppression Ring?

Take your time…

… Right, then we agree on that! They always bring it, always play strong and always seem genuinely happy to be there. I don’t think you’ll see Eddy Current ‘mail in’ a gig anytime soon.

Leading with ‘Memory Lane’, Eddy Current’s raw guitar hits you like a slap to the face, with the rhythm section of Rob Solid (Bass) and Danny Current (Drums) hot in pursuit.

The heavy bass intro to ‘Sunday’s Coming’ saw Brendan Suppression relax a little, and as the band rolled into  ‘You Let Me Be Honest With You’, we had the beginnings of a great night. A lesser writer would be throwing in Zoo puns left, right and centre here about how the crowd were ‘going ape’ and were a ‘pack of animals’ but not I – especially as strong performances of crowd favorites like ‘Which Way To Go’ distracted my crew and I from the horrendously lame discussion of puns that we had begun. Leaving sophmore album Primary Colours, the boys delved into their earlier self-titled release, including ‘Insufficient Funds’ and building to ‘Precious Rose’. Arriving late, I was far enough back not to be in amongst the crowd for these two songs. Reports of a high body-count and casualty rate are yet to be confirmed, but are assumed.

‘Colour Television’ (a personal favorite) and ‘I Admit My Faults’ came in quick succession, before loyal fan base classics ‘Get Up Morning’ and ‘Cool Ice Cream’ arrived at the pinnacle of the evening, with the night closing on ‘Turn Your Page’.

And with that, The Punters dissolved into the warm evening to find their next drink knowing that they had done their bit to help right some of the wrongs of the world.

Eddy Current Suppression Ring was a gift to me from my friend Leigh. The Melbourne four-piece has been getting solid word-of-month for a while now; it showed at the Melbourne Big Day Out, where a decent crowd waited for singer Brendan Suppression, guitarist and keyboardist Eddy Current, bassist Rob Solid and drummer Danny Current to come out and live up to their reputation as one of the nation’s best live bands.

Brendan Suppression is known for a few things: his intensity, Michael Jackson-esque gloves, tendency to sing with his back to the crowd and having a dance on stage. Add to this list a bit of singing while crowd-surfing among his teenage and 20-something fans in the summer sun. The band’s songs are often lyrically and musically simple but in the best possible way. Topics range from the hypnotism of television to battling indecision (‘Which way to go’) and the idea of a lover as novel to be read over and over. The band doesn’t play that often but they’re a sight to behold and destined for greatness.

Fittingly, Eddy Current was followed by fellow Melbourne faves Little Red, termed “original doo-wop punk” on Myspace. All the right noises are being made about Little Red; they’re great live, make good harmonies, they’re cute as can be and play lotsa catchy tunes. The five-piece has gathered critical acclaim for its debut album, Listen to Little Red (read Laneway‘s review here) and mass appeal is probably next. Melbourne BDO was not the band’s finest hour, but their set was still entertaining enough and by the sounds of it, their second album will also be a fun little corker.

For energy and excitement, though, it was hard to top Lupe Fiasco. The American rapper is supposed to be retiring after his next album – sad news for those who’ve not seen him live but have appreciated such songs as ‘Kick Push’, ‘Superstar’, ‘Touch the Sky’ (with Kanye West) and ‘Daydreamin’ (with the lovely Jill Scott). The man is as intelligent as he is hot, and after dancing like mad in the boiling Boiler Room with his shirt off, he ended the euphoric one-hour set with a forward flip and the crowd went bananas. Apparently he didn’t play very long at his solo concert at the Palace the next night, but it’s better to eat a little butter than a tub of margarine.