Red Ink

Don’t ask for tea at Revolver. I enjoy a cuppa, don’t we all? And why should I be confined to Beer County when out and about (though a fine town it is)? So, if you don’t want the tea you’ve been craving all day to arrive in a sugar dispenser (yes, that’s true, and no, you can’t still pour it), then heed my advice and stick to the brews.

First up tonight was Melbourne’s Fire Fire!, who pulled a rather commendable crowd for the opening band slot. Well-merited, I suppose, since their string of indie-rock tracks did not fail to excite. Axe-man Lee is constantly absorbed within his technique; shirking the usual show-pony antics one has come to expect of a lead guitarist (ahem, Kirk Hammet) and simply unleashing masterful riffage with zero pretence. Good boy. Isolation is the show-stealer (trust me, you’ll need to see it live, the band’s MySpace doesn’t do it justice), vocalist Marc’s striking, gut-wrenching plea, “Is there anyone out there??” has henceforth been rooted into my frontal lobe (In a good way. I sang it aloud in Subway yesterday...the sandwich guy didn’t seem to mind, he seemed more focussed on what salads I wanted....tomato, onion, and capsicum, thanks) and the as-yet-untitled “new song” showed a new aptitude on the band’s part of writing effervescent indie-rock tracks. Bravura.

Tonight is like Space Invaders approached the bench (or stage, as it were) next. Apart from having a name taken from a Something for Kate song (“Say Something”, Track 9 from 2001’s “Echolalia” album. I fucking love Something for Kate!) were lamentably less than I had anticipated. One song, which I was annoyed not to have caught the title of, was amazing and made this reviewer all cold and ooky inside, and expectant of great things from the very likeable Melbs band, but otherwise, TILSI seemed like another run-of-the-mill indie pop/rock band. I suppose I can’t offer much advice, not being a musician myself (I play a little guitar, but I’m sure as hell no Santana...I would never do a song with Chad Kroeger) but I found the tunes to just be slightly....lacking. Like they were so close to something great but kept slipping, fumbling on the last step, like watching a three-legged cat climb stairs.

Ironically (and undeservedly), headliners Red Ink played to the smallest crowd of the night. Perhaps the Revolver crowd were up past their bedtimes, being a school night and all, oh well. Red Ink are astoundingly professional; clean, tight pop-rock tracks that don’t drag for too long, or end too abruptly. They know the score. I imagine it won’t be too long before we hear the Peninsula boys on Triple J, and we can all say “Hey, we knew them when...” but, until then, Kleptomaniac can be Your New Favourite Song. Once again, my criticisms can’t help but bubble to the surface, and I have to mention Red Ink’s (only occasionally) penchant to slip into the same slightly-monotonous territory many others do. I like to think, though, that, with a little spit and polish from some Music Industry Types, Red Ink will jettison to success any time soon.

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