Every band that comes to Canberra these days comments on how cold it is and how grateful they are that people actually braved the cruel outside world to attend their gig. We do like to think of ourselves as sort of understated superheroes, though Transit Bar did seem to take longer than normal to fill up on the night of Crooked Colours’ album tour.
Opening the night was Canberra outfit Magnifik: self-professed music for nu-romantics. Thankfully their first song was not Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer, despite first impressions due to very similar opening riffs. Not a lot of enthusiasm emanated from the stage – they opted for more of a cool, calm vibe, complete with some interesting sounds and floating vocals.
Melbourne’s Deja made their presence felt and picked up the pace of the night, with the dark, poignant atmosphere their music created, strong vocals, and a certain attitude and purpose that really drew the crowd in. Their songs featured hauntingly mesmerising melodies and some explosive and percussive music mixed with moments of ambience.
Although Perth band Crooked Colours had recently been in Canberra while on tour with RÜFÜS, there was still a definite hype amongst the audience that they had returned on their own headline tour.
The title track of their EP In Your Bones kick-started their set with an energy that grabbed people from the outset. With only four Crooked Colours songs recorded and available for listening to, when these songs played it really was something a bit special.
Frontman Phillip Slabber had a definite surfie vibe going on, with his long sandy hair and general casual demeanour. He was enjoying the enthusiasm of the audience’s dancing, and through the course of their set, presented two band t-shirts to the most avid dancing fans.
Crooked Colours radiated enthusiasm, and their performance was complete with all-important handclaps and a very 80s sound that crept occasionally into their songs. While some subtleties of the music were lost in the mix, the band made up for it by being generally endearing and very fun.
The gig finished on one of their biggest songs, Come Down – the second single from their EP, and the standout highlight of the night. It incited a general feeling of camaraderie amongst the audience, and as the arpeggio section cut in, the crowd came alive and moved and pulsed in unison, as if partaking in a dance party.
The music played by all three groups on the night had a dark and broody atmosphere, and we were transported into an era of underground music sometimes lost in current times – rather fitting considering the Transit Bar venue!
Photos by Brianna Olzen Photography
