The Middle East

I wander in to the warmth of the Corner Hotel on this Sunday evening just as the second support for tonight, Oliver Mann, is taking to the stage. Glancing around, I see the majority of people have positioned themselves cross-legged on the floor upfront – a rare occurrence at the established music venue – so I take a remaining floor space along with them.

The maturity-drenched Mann holds his presence onstage with an earnestness that is less than captivating, resulting in the usual reverential silence replaced by incessant chatter from those surrounding me. With little more than an acoustic guitar and harmonica, and rarely changing pitch or pace, the music easily becomes tiresome. The same cannot be said for his voice; a unique instrument, he possesses a vocal range that borders on operatic, though this capability can serve as both a blessing and a curse in disguise.

While his musical tastes show him to be taking a more contemporary approach and his lyricism delves into folk-like tales, his voice hinders him from stepping too far away from the classical style he could so easily work with. His sound is attempting to transcend those stereotypes, though I think the inclusion of a full band is needed to carry his incredible voice to greater heights, to give his music the intensity and urgency needed to attract a younger audience.

The band everyone is here to see tonight is The Middle East. Six months prior, hardly a soul in the room would have associated this name with anything other than an ambiguous global region. Yet this collective from Townsville have managed to sell out The Corner Hotel - on a Sunday night no less - and that is no mean feat. In hindsight, the hype they have been receiving of late is more than warranted.

Cheers ring out through the tightly packed crowd as the septet take to the stage wielding a myriad of instruments. With a banjo, mandolin, glockenspiel, flute, accordion, recorder, harmonica and keys supplementing the standard guitar, bass and drums outfit, they are quite the contrast to the lone guitar from Mann’s earlier performance. What ensues is a cacophony of sound, each song explored with a sonical colour that parallels the lyricism. Haunting vocal harmonies tell tales of love, regret and loss, filling the room with a whole spectrum of emotions. “I wrote this song for my brother”, guitarist Rohin Jones tells, demonstrating the highly-personalised content of their songs.

The set is like a game of musical instruments, with the clan switching to and fro between their impressive collection onstage during interludes. And rather than each to their own, they interact in such a fashion that they appear as if many parts to one single entity, with no dominant frontman (or ‘person’ I should say). The beautiful Bree Tanter stands humbly side of stage, mixing keys and flute with her striking vocal harmonies. Multi-instrumentalists Mark and Jordan prove more than musically capable – Mark flirting between accordion, keys and guitar while Joseph tries his hand at the banjo, mandolin and glockenspiel - employing the vast array of instruments to give each song a unique feel. Standout number for the evening was their recent single ‘Blood’, channeling the high-spirited dynamics of Arcade Fire in a loud, uplifting climatic end.

Of course, the crowd wanted more. Returning to the stage in an abbreviated form, Jordan, Bree and Rohin appease the demanding crowd with a simpler number before Rohin is left to fend for himself. The nerves seem to get the better of him as he stops first line in, cursing as he turns away from the audience. Giving it a second go he starts, “man, there was a time”, before losing it again, though everyone supportively cheers him on. “Man it’s good having seven people in your band,” he jokes. Third time a charm it seems, as he finally gets it right. His apparent nervousness is endearing to all present tonight and everyone seems transfixed right through to the very end of this nostalgic ballad.

It is evident why The Middle East have been given the prestigious supporting role for the upcoming Grizzly Bear tour, along with sets at Homebake, Sunset Sounds and Meredith Music Festivals. While the current situation in The Middle East may be in a state of political decline, the rise and rise of this homegrown talent is certainly imminent, with no doubt of promising things to come.

Photo by Lou Lou Nutt.

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