The Scare
w/ The Process and Dead Before Death Gang
» Check out The Scare at a venue near you! - November 2, 2006
» Powderfinger + Silverchair - Gold Coast Convention Centre, QLD - September 2, 2007
» Gyroscope - Arena Entertainment Complex, QLD - October 8, 2005
» The Scare - Chivalry is Live - October 3, 2007
» The Scare - Ding Dong Lounge, Vic - November 2, 2007
It’s been a good few years since I first saw The Scare back in old Brisbane town when they were just starting out and I am very much curious as to how tonight will measure up.
They are joined this evening by upcoming local produce The Process and Dead Before Death Gang. The latter kicks the night off with an energetic tempo. The duo has been making the rounds on Melbourne’s music circuit of late, playing alongside the likes of Young and Restless, Cassette Kids and Flamingo Crash. With only Natasha on drums and Kristinn strumming away at the guitar, the pair surprisingly can make a whole lot of racket. The minimalistic punk sound produced is loud and raucous while the singer delivers monotonous sentences over the top that add an awkwardness to their music. Admittedly, they have a knack for getting attention with a hectic mess of strings and drums.
Next to grace us with their presence onstage are The Process. As my second encounter with this group, their set tonight reiterates my initial thoughts. Somewhat reminiscent of Joy Division and New Order with their take on the psychedelic post-punk rock genre, this quintet is certain to stake out a musical milieu for themselves within the industry. The cohesiveness of this group is impressive for their relative unfamiliarity with the live music scene, having only just started performing in the last year. Their dark hypnotic arrangements are delivered with both precision and confidence, whilst their vocals are drenched with an atmosphere of nostalgia that irrevocably draws you in. With a mystical aura about him, front man August Skipper echoes the late Jim Morrison with his onstage theatrics. Without limiting himself to the stage, Skipper swaggers about the audience in an exaggerated fashion, transforming each song into something of a pageant with his aesthetic energy and dramatics. A hard act to follow. No doubt though, The Scare are up for the challenge.
Having created quite a stir in the UK, these five boys take to the stage to justify what all the hype is about. A rather hairy start for the boys – their first song is cut abruptly short due to a mishap with the snare drum, leaving all onstage scratching their heads and calling out to the audience in hope of finding a new one. Thankfully the support is able to assist in lending one of their own. The Scare merely take this setback all in their stride, considering they are no strangers to misfortune. They previously had to borrow gear for their final show in London before returning to Australia, as their equipment had accidentally been taken to the airport following a performance at the Carling Festival. Nevertheless, the show must go on. And that it does.
After downing the remnants of his drink, Kiss Reid attacks the microphone with a fierceness that belies his apparent reserved nature offstage. In a similar manner, the intent ferocity with which Sam Pearton drums is met with Wade Keighran’s deafening bass lines and their resulting obnoxious sounds have the feel of an imminent explosion. They transcribe disorder and chaos into music. Before belting out a final song for the evening, Reid assures the audience that this will be the last time any of the Chivalry songs will be performed live. Quite a bold statement for a band only a few years young and with only one album under their belt, yet an unsurprising one at that. Not a band to fall into the trap of repetitiveness, The Scare have consistently maintained they do not wish for their music to become ritualized and static through overplaying. So it’s off to the drawing board again, with the boys working on a new album back in their recently adopted hometown of Sydney.
On the whole, this evening was somewhat mild mannered in comparison with The Scare’s notorious reputation for angry hysteria and reckless entertainment on stage. I’ll still have some decent bruises in the morning though.
