Wolf and Cub

Trekking to the Corner to see psychedelic rock urchins Wolf & Cub showcase their new material on Friday night was always going interesting. For one, Michael Jackson had just died and I was hoping to witness a fitting musical tribute. Who wouldn’t agree that watching Adelaide’s finest exponent of dance rock perform a progressive version of Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough would not send shivers down your spine? Added to this, what’s not cool about seeing a band with two drummers?

Although it makes it slightly harder to drink beer with what feels like a marathon of fat people running towards you at an alarming speed, it presence does nothing but heighten the overall experience. Wolf & Cub are something of a musical oddity. They defy the trend of making the appealing pop song and building an album of serviceable tracks around it. In saying that they defy musical trends, it might be more accurate to say that they defy the laws of the commonplace popular song. The manage to create radio friendly gems whilst sticking to the progressive/psychedelic formula which can include (but is not limited to) non-traditional guitar solo’s, conga’s and oddly enough, a saxophone.

Kicking off the proceedings with Loosest of Gooses (Go On Your Own), it became quite apparent that Wolf & Cub’s intent was to play as loud as possible. Seven Sevens brought with it immediate recognition. No sooner had the pulsating rhythm begun its familiar romp that the audience began to move in what can only be described as an interpretive dancer’s nightmare. Or perhaps it could have been their dream. Who really knows? Rozalia Bizarre was intensity personified. It’s rare for an instrumental to have this kind of effect with the audience. Yet it was able to capture attention through its wave-like momentum and its trenchant guitar noodling.

The most telling moment of the night’s performance was the set closer Vessels. Riddled with sound issues, it had its great moments, and it had it’s not so great moments. Restless Sons lumbered along at a hypnotic pace, and proved that when Wolf & Cub focus they really hit the mark. For the majority of the set, however, they missed the mark. They had replaced a lot of their pulsating rhythmic poise and clarity for cumbersome and poorly executed tonal drone.

At best, they were a second tier Sonic Youth tribute band. Although their technical difficulties were not conducive to a well-rounded performance, I couldn’t help but feel a little let down by their flagrant disregard for their well put-together songs. It was a let-down considering how good they are on record. Some songs were brilliantly executed and had the packed crowd in unison.

Whether that was at the front taking it in turns to mount the stage for 15 seconds of fame, or the more conservative head bobbing and foot-tapping, Wolf & Cub were at times playing to the potential. Yet, hit and miss was the order of the night. And those moments were too few and far between.

There just wasn’t enough consistency over the whole performance. They already have established themselves as a prominent musical entity. In a burgeoning music scene, this is a critical moment in terms of hitting their musical stride. In a positive light, they’re almost the complete package. They’ve carved out a favorable reputation that has seen them earn kudos’ from some of the biggest figures in music today. One would assume all that’s needed now is a bit of a fine tune and they’re set.

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