Birds of Tokyo

Perth rock outfit Birds of Tokyo certainly seemed ambitious to embark upon a tour of what they describe as an acoustic interpretation, with piano and string quartet. The Enmore theatre could have been mistaken for the Opera house that night; a sit-down show that even had programs! It felt quite proper, yet was quite refreshing to have some room considering last time this reviewer caught the ‘Birds’ was at this same venue and could hardly move!

The string quartet opens with an enticing instrumental medley of some of the Birds songs. The band comes out to momentous cheers and they welcome the show with Armour for Liars followed by this reviewer’s personal favourite Like Rain. Much to the crowds delight, we got some beautiful renditions of oldies such as Russian Roulette and Rose. Guitarist Adam Sparks alternated between the six-string and twelve-string guitars, and even utilized a ukulele for Head in My Hands.

The proclaimed love song Violet was certainly one which took our collective breaths away. The band performed a brooding version of the epic track from Universes, The Baker's Son before taking a twenty-minute break. The second half starts off with just Ian Kenny and guitarist Adam Sparks executing a gentle stripped back version of Marvin Gaye’s I Heard It through the Grapevine. The post interval set was more intense, and the piano was more audible than the first set. Glenn Sarangapany received a standing ovation from some after his extended piano solo on crowd favourite Wayside.

The band performed hauntingly beautiful versions of Off Kilter, Wild Eyed Boy and Broken Bones, featuring soaring string lines and powerful piano sections. Rest Here My Brother was an obvious choice for the band seeing as it was the most string-heavy song on the album Day One. The band leaves the stage once again, incurring the chant of “encore!” To the roar of the crowd, the Birds come back and play one of their ‘prettier’ songs Medicine, and finishing the epic night on a tender melodic rearrangement of the highly anticipated Silhouettic.

Certainly ambitious, but the Birds of Tokyo have proved any song can be comfortably and organically translated to another format. Intimate and unforgettable, this was truly an epic show and experience for both band and punters. There is hope for those of you who missed out, keep your eyes peeled for the Broken Strings DVD!

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