Modest Mouse

Splendour mania has hit the Australian shores this week and everybody is in a tizz. With several Sydney gigs moving to bigger venues across the cities to accommodate the spendthrift and musically appreciative youth, Modest Mouse’s Sydney show was no exception.

A live show that proved to be in over-demand for the Metro Theatre allowed big sister - the Enmore Theatre to take on the crowd-sitting duties. Yes, there may be a retail slump in the economy, but I don’t hear any music promoters complaining. I’d much rather let Modest Mouse rock my world than purchase an over priced pair of shoes. Please, take the stage Isaac Brock and co!

But first this evening…Sydney unearthed band Deep Sea Arcade provided a much enthused and trendy crowd with a vibrant performance of reverberated pop and showcased confidence. As lead singer Nick McKenzie announced that ‘it was about time we played at the Enmore!’ the band played with satisfaction and a proud demeanour that proved to the audience they were worthy of being there.

Tracks such as ‘Don’t be Sorry’ and ‘Lonely in Your Arms’ proved to be highlights amongst a Triple J infused audience. But it was their unity in sound and dedication to impress a crowd that captivated me. Well done lads, your recent UK tour has really fired you up!

Modest Mouse have always been a force to be reckoned with. With 18 years of live performances under their belt, it has been said that nobody leaves a gig of theirs disappointed. Naturally, they had big shoes to fill tonight. Their job was to raise the bar for both the overtly pompous middle aged music critic to my left, and the excitable intoxicated teen with his BYO Mount Franklin hip flask to my right. Modest Mouse = challenge accepted!

From Portland, Oregon to Enmore, Sydney, Brock and band brought a cool hillbilly like swagger and certain cockiness to their opening performance of ‘Satin in a Coffin’. If you could bottle the energy onstage for this song alone, you could power the venue for the rest of the evening.

‘Dramamine’ gave the elusive opportunity for a ‘look no hands ma!’ moment as Brock united his teeth with his guitar strings. I am not sure if I have ever seen somebody scream into their guitar before with such a rewarding result, but I’d hate to see his dentist bills.

With the extra starch in his collar and pack of fags to keep him motivated, Brock gave an occasional rant about the poor weather and entertained the masses with hometown stories between songs. Did he say something about noise pollution? His country drawl was a little hard for my Aussie ears to understand…

‘Blame it on the Tetons’ allowed a few nostalgic old-timers in the crowd to raise the old-fashioned lighter, reminiscing the good times of ‘concert yesteryear’. But it was the modern day iPhone lighter application waved in response that brought a smile to my face. Ah technology, thank you for providing a safe and nostalgic haven for the modern day gig-goer!

A musical collaboration of trumpets, violins, banjo and an additional drum kit lent originality into the modern rock set up and celebrated with a tight and talented performance. ‘King Rat’ was an absolute highlight as the layers and texture of the song were permitted to unfold before your eyes and ears, something I had missed when simply hearing it on an album.

As the set list progressed into a heavy set of Modest Mouse classics, including the ever-popular ‘Float On’, it was noticed however that the band’s elusive energy turned more to complacency. With a ten minute encore break, they still felt the need to delay as they rejoined the stage as several lit up cigarettes. Is there such a thing as being too comfortable? Should somebody have bought them their slippers? Surely they are not ready to start cashing in their pension cheques.

The reality is that Sydney could have done with a couple more songs, as the set list was a few numbers short of their recent shows. Do I have a little ‘other concert envy’? Yeah, probably! I’ll have to satisfy my craving with YouTube. Ah technology!

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