The Breeders

On Thursday 31st July I stepped once again into the dimly lit interior of Fowlers Live in Adelaide. The Breeders were in town, and I was curious. I hadn’t heard much about them before, but I once had a friend who professed to be a fan. He informed me that the main singer, Kim Deal, was a member of the Pixies, and since I’m a fan of several Pixies songs, and am ever one for the live music, I thought I’d check it out. A bad omen – straight away I was shocked to notice that many of the band t-shirts that provide the major décor around the walls of Fowlers were missing – what’s going on there?!?!

I waited with a quiet and sedate little crowd for the first support band. They were called Gaslight Radio, and the first thing I noticed about them was that they were all older gents, looking in their 40s. The next thing I noticed was the size of the drum kit; absolutely tiny, with worn drum heads, it was the sort of thing you could probably buy in the trading post for a couple hundred dollars. Nevertheless, I tried to keep an open mind as they launched into a bevy of country-influenced light-rock tunes. Unfortunately, I was still rather disappointed. The performance that they gave was quite lacklustre and boring, with no real attempt at stage movement or inciting the crowd. It was to such a degree that I was wondering if they were all perhaps stoned, or hadn’t slept for several days. They didn’t have much technical skill, and one member of the band never even turned to face the crowd – not in a cool James Maynard anti-hero kind of way, but in an I-don’t-care-enough sort of way. They also obviously didn’t give any attempt at matching wardrobes, showing up in whatever thongs, t-shirts and pants they happened to be wearing. However, the music wasn’t too bad – while it was nothing innovative, it was mildly interesting light rock, and there were a few high guitar solos in a few songs that perked me up a little. Still, a rather disappointing set.

After the usual short wait, The Breeders were on. With 3 girls and 2 guys playing, the 5-piece had a strong ‘family band’ sort of appearance. They were greeted by thunderous applause, and immediately dug into their first song. I admit, Kim and sister Kelley’s very strong nasal American accent irritated me a little (I think they said they were from Ohio) but that’s just a personal taste thing. Again, I found the set a little disappointing. The band seemed quite happy to just stand in place and perform, singing to the crowd with relaxed postures and smiles. The music I thought was rather repetitive, both in terms of music and lyrics, and the songs themselves seemed very short, often finishing where I felt another verse/chorus to extend the song would have left a much better feeling. However, the crowd evidently did not agree with me; the cheering came in strong on the tail of every song, and I witnessed numerous people crazy-dancing. The venue was also rather packed, despite the relatively high ticket price ($55). I think the crowd was mainly strong Breeders fans, rather than curious live-music junkies this time. And that’s the advice I would leave you with; while not a horrible gig, I think seeing the Breeders perform is perhaps one for the already-established fans. If you’re just curious, borrow someone’s CD first.

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