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I've never really been a particularly dedicated fan of The Fauves, myself.
I like them as much as the next guy, and can quite happily bop along to all
the radio "hits". What I don't understand is why Polydor even considered
dropping them from their roster in the first place!!
It's obvious from the turnout that The Fauves have a loyal and large following in Brisbane. And while the Waterloo may not be overflowing with punters, paying $13 to see a band shows a little bit more than a meer fleeting interest. First up we have Elsie's Neighbour. For the uninitiated, the vocalist dresses in garb usually associated with a bad 70's rock cliche: leather pants with yellow and orange flames up the legs. This leaves me thinking that maybe they are trying to distract the audience from realising that they are rock wannabes rather than actually good at what they do. The set may have not been the same as last nights' performance @ the Normanby, but the stage antics sure were. Ultaviolet show us a different approach, displaying simple yet strong songs from the guitar, drums and bass formula. These guys are getting a few more gigs around the place and good luck to them. There is nothing flashy in their approach to music, but does good music need to be over the top? |
| Melbourne's Icecream Hands wander on stage close to midnight and burst into
some power pop gems that they have become recognised for. High rotation on
Triple J with "Nipple" and "Yellow and Blue" has done them no harm, bringing
the audience into the equation by giving them something to recognise and
sing along with.
Chuck Jenkins sings with a strength and ease necessary to give the songs a bit more of a punch in a live context. Their harmonies are sweet and tight, thanks to the backing vocals of easily the tallest man in australian music, bassist Doug Robertson. They sound just as good live as they do on the record. Milking Somewhere Over The Radio for all its singles isn't really a bad thing, but new material from these popsters would be more than welcome. |
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Another thing that is welcome is the applause to which The Fauves take the
stage. It's been a while since the Frankston blokes have graced us with
their presence and The Fauves are a band like no other in Australia. With
several long players under their belt, years of touring experience, and even
being shafted by their label (bad move Polydor), you have to wonder why The
Fauves are still together. Hasn't their use by date come and gone? Or are
they still together simply because they don't know what else to do with
their lives?
What it all boils down to is the fact that Andy Cox is a songwriter (or bullshit artist, which ever you prefer) of immense talent. His lyrically twisted view of suburban life has the ability to hold your attention if only to hear the next joke. This is one of the biggest strengths of The Fauves, coupled with their sense of humour when playing live. |
| Being a musician is a job, but it's not one that they take too seriously.
If you can have a few beers, jump on stage with some mates, make some noise,
and still call that "work" then The Fauves are very good at what they do. I don't think Andy Cox is capable of staying silent between songs. There is
no case of the awkward frontman here. He saunters around the stage with
justified confidence and a self assured manner that would make any aspiring
musician jealous. Between tunes, he chats with the audience, telling
touring stories and poking fun @ punters clothes.
Yet when you leave, or even try to recall the jokes and stories told, for some reason they seem to be out of reach in your memory. The only thing that sticks out is the fact that The Fauves are still alive and well, kicking on in true style. ~Lou Lou~ |
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