Rapskallion

Oh my god. Just....wow. I was in two minds about writing this review. On the one hand, I was looking forward to sharing the experience with you, and hoping you would one day see it for yourself. On the other, I don’t have the acuity to truly surmise the goings-on at the Northcote Social Club that night. Well, I’ll try.

Opening the night was Power & Greig who sounded amazingly sharp and rehearsed for a band only on their eighth or ninth gig. Their music wasn’t the circus-folk-gypsy-tango of Rapskallion, but rather a dirtier, bluesier, more emotively countrified sound. They sang folk songs about railroad tracks and farming and friendly towns and ale, with Dan Greig playing a beautiful, wailing slide. The term ‘country’ probably invokes an image of Hank Williams devotees who sing about Alabamy from their share house in Carlton- they are not so. ‘Blues’ may cause you to assume they attempt to resurrect Robert Johnson- not so. And that dirty word- folk. Folk can be so different, even between different suburbs. The more cynical of you probably expect ‘folk’ to arrive in a hemp jacket and dreadlocks and sing of the bush and how truly special wombats really are. Well, I am here to toss your preconceived notions off a cliff and into the sea, mister. While they do skim country, folk and blues, P&G have an impressive, original sound that they flourish with their own signature, with quirky and affective songwriting to boot. Though the songs on the MySpace don’t do justice to the band (“Will be putting up some gooder tracks ASAP!” cries the header), I urge you to jump on this particular bandwagon...we’ll just sit next to the pigs and corn and ol’ Mama in the gingham gown.

So. Here we are. Black lace adorning the stage. All manner of attractive people in festive circus-y getups and garters. Suits and top hats. Flapper girl dresses. Rapskallion stand side of stage as they show music videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpa7rLkCtvM) and Seth Greengills- our hook-nosed protagonist from that video- arrives and does a striptease to You Can Leave Your Hat On...on a unicycle. You can’t make this stuff up. Hailey Hoops also amused the crowd with hula hoop tricks during some fitting tracks. Rapskallion launch into it. Playing from their brand new rekkid, One Up For the Little Man- they are chaotic, beautiful, rhythmic gypsies from a tiny village under a bridge. Accordion (a much underrated instrument, I think) rings out, blending with clarinet, violin and, of course, frontwoman Sara’s amazing vocals.

Tracks like Never Turn Your Back on the Sea rings with old-timey magic and circus madness, Over the Sea is like an Irish sea song, Magpie has all the tango strut and gusto one could ever ask for- especially if one were dance inclined, as the Northcote SC crowd seemed to be- and Sera’s strong vocals mingle with the beautiful, rich instruments. Think Amelie meets a group of Greek renegade musicians that hook up with a Spanish gypsy. I mean, look at the picture. Don’t they just look interesting? They do, and they are! Buy the CD, and check them out when they get back from wowing the Europe crowds. Have I ever steered you wrong?

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