Thirsty Merc
with Playjerise and The Hampdens
» Thirsty Merc announce live dates following the release of 'Slideshows' - May 1, 2007
» Thirsty Merc - Wrest Point, Tas - November 19, 2005
» Thirsty Merc - Saloon Bar, The, Tas - November 18, 2005
» Thirsty Merc - Charles Sturt University Bar, NSW - August 30, 2007
Although Thirsty Merc have been playing shows across Australia for a number of years, have top 10 singles to their name, and a great live reputation, this Thursday night at the CSU Uni Bar seemed to have little to do with the music. When I heard from a friend that the night had sold out, my ears pricked up, but as I walked into the venue the large blackboard on display perfectly summed up the night. It said “Thursday 30th August: Doctors and Nurses Night” followed by “with Thirsty Merc” in small print.
To elaborate, almost everyone in the place was dressed in a doctor's or nurse’s uniform, but not the type you see on RPA…more akin to the girl on the cover of Blink 182’s Enema of the State. Many were drunk before they came in, and most were drunk by the time they came out, but never the less, the music was quality.
Unfortunately, opening act Playjerise had their set pushed forward by half-an-hour and shortened as well, meaning their audience was smaller than expected, but Jake and George played an impressive set of acoustic pop/rock tracks from their latest album Cross the Line and debut Emotionology. Playjerise’s melodies and harmonies are very catchy, and George is a great guitarist, as he showed towards the end of opener ‘Saw You’. Many of those too busy drinking to listen to the music were called over by a cover of Tal Bachman’s ‘She’s So High’, and remained for the last two songs of the shortened set. Playjerise are definitely a band worth checking out, particularly if you are into music along the lines of Missy Higgins or Lior.
Following Playjerise were The Hampdens, whose set was rather drab and unappealing to my ears. The lead singer did remind me of Sarah Blasko however, and I mean that in a good way.
After a long delay, during which the Gents bathroom overflowed into the entire foyer area, Thirsty Merc took the stage, opening with ‘In the Summertime’. The crowd just about drowned Rai Thistlethwayte out in the chorus, and this kept up for the rest of the set. Rai assured all the students after ‘The Hard Way’ that “it’s the only way you’re gonna learn, it’s the only way we did”, before leading bassist Phil Stack and guitarist Sean Carey into the intro of ‘My Completeness’.
The crowd wandered mid-set, due to the lack of singles and singalongs, but the quirky ‘I Wish Somebody Would Build a Bridge’ brought everyone back. ‘20 Good Reasons’ and ‘Someday’ inspired a great deal of love throughout the room, and the extended call-and-response section of ‘The Vision’ pleased the “doctors and nurses in the house”. Unfortunately the venue lacked even a drum riser and black curtains, making for less-than-impressive production.
Thirsty Merc returned for an encore of ‘Emancipate Myself’, finishing a short but tight set. On the whole however, the night left a strange taste in my mouth, due to the trashed crowd and dingy venue.
