Regurgitator

Australia’s darlings of the electro-pop world, Regurgitator have always managed to keep fans on their toes by their experimental nature. Their most recent tour on the back of the new album, “Love and Paranoia”, which was recorded in Brazil is a follow up to that crazy “Band in the Bubble’ ploy. The resulting album and B-side collection, “Mish Mash” was met with mixed reviews.

So, with new member, Seja Vogel, in tow and a swathe of great support acts (Brisbane’s, I Heart Hiroshima and China’s, New Pants) they tried out their latest offering. And all were received with a great deal of euphoria.

Newcastle’s number one uni student hang-out, the UNU Bar, previously the Bar on the Hill, seemed an apt setting for the Regurgitator to do their thing. However, numbers were relatively small for opening act, I Heart Hiroshima. This became apparent when front-woman/drummer/songstress, the very rockin’, Susie Patten (who’s always got the biggest grin whilst playing) , attempted to urge the crowd towards the front of the stage, to which she was informed “we’re quite comfortable back here, thanks all the same.” Cringe-worthy really, considering how much of an accolade this band really deserves. The three-piece possess a plethora of talent, lead vocalist, Cameron Hawes is like a younger Robert Smith. As an indication of where they’re going musically, I’d say, they deserved a lot more attention than what they received.

And now for my new band of the moment: New Pants, I’ve been on at everyone to seek them out, because as a live outfit they totally rocked the roof off with their eclectic retro wave of electronica. These guys did it all: frog squats, Mexican waves, claps, even a quasi notion of tai chi, suddenly, I began to notice the large crowd that began to amass. Why smoke outside when the music was so hot indoors?

It was hard to know whether to take their Beach-boy-esque tight jean wearing camp seriously, but I can almost certainly bet that these guys will acquire a cult following…I just can’t stop extolling their virtues – they were like no one else I’d seen before…Although certain aspects left me wondering: like, was that Ramones T-Shirt one of the guys was wearing supposed to be ironic? And were they really singing, “show me your shamrock” at one point? Well, no matter, they can see my shamrock any old time.

“Can’t stop loving you, I don’t care what you do” Regurgitator croon at one point, which I find to be a fitting sentiment of the band’s current status. Basically, it seems that they will continue to experiment for as long as their career spans out and we, their devoted public will continue to lap it up. Playing a crowd-pleasing set of old and new, they certainly have “sucked a lot of cock” to get where they are. At one stage the sound from Ben’s guitar disintegrated, so ever professional, the guys broke out into an improvised rap, which just went to prove their level of live expertise: just because there are technical buggers doesn’t mean that they show doesn’t go on (or off for that matter)…

What also sets them apart from other counterparts is the rapport that they’re able to establish with their audience. In one moment they’re getting a girl up on stage to serenade, the next, they’re getting everyone to accompany during the song, “Pretty Girls Swear”, (now you guys say, “fuck”, and you guys say “off”…) to which we were all too obliging.

All in all this is one of the better gigs I’ve attended in 2007. It wasn’t just about the main act, but also about the supports, the atmosphere was crankin by the end of it (apart from a bit of a tussle between two drunken boofheads towards the end of the night) and I urge you to seek out New Pants: the name that’ll be the name on everyone’s lips - musically that is - I’m not taking Christmas requests…

Share this review on Facebook