BASEMENT BIRDS live review

I wasn't exactly wowed by the Basement Birds album, so my expectations were low before I saw them on stage - but I was pleasantly surprised...

Ah music fans. They’re a fickle bunch. While a decent-sized crowd welcomes support act Ohad Rein (aka Old Man River) onto the stage, their attention fluctuates. While they are willing to clap along to the hits from Rein’s first record, they are easily distracted during his (very promising) new songs.

When you think about it, ‘fandom’ is a strange thing. Footy fans support their heroes through thick and thin, even when their idols perform below par. Music fans, however, remain loyal only up to a point. This means that when musicians form supergroups, only hardcore fans turn out to see them.

This is a blessing and a curse for Basement Birds. They didn’t sell enough tickets to fill the Enmore as planned but, having moved to a smaller venue, they’re playing to a concentrated crowd of committed followers. Everybody here is a fan of Kevin Mitchell (Jebediah), Kav Temperley (Eskimo Joe), Steve Parkin (Autopilot) or Josh Pyke; which makes for a special atmosphere.

When the band open with radio hit ‘Waiting for You’ one thing is immediately obvious: the vocal interplay and harmonies are going to be the highlight this evening. It’s one thing to perfect complex vocals in the studio – over several takes – but it’s quite another to do it on stage.

Yet Basement Birds manage it. Again and again and again. The rockabilly swagger of ‘Cinnamon and Smoke’ is propelled along by some impeccable chorus harmonies. The Whiskeytown-inspired ‘Not The One’ is nailed thanks to Pyke and Mitchell’s call and response vocals. The craving lyrics in ‘Holly’ are well articulated by Temperley’s raw vocal delivery. The four-part harmonies in ‘Ghosts’ echo round the room in suitably haunting fashion.

But it’s not all plain sailing. Tickets were sold with promises of ‘surprises and special guests’ but when Temperley invites Julia Stone onto the stage, she never materialises. In fact there are no surprise guests all night.

Perhaps to make up for it, we are treated to cover versions that range from the sublime (‘All I Want’ by Sarah Blasko) to the ridiculous (‘The One That I Want’ from Grease). Unique moments like these are what die-hard fans treasure the most, so tonight’s audience savours every note. If this does turn out to be “the first ever and last ever Basement Birds show in Sydney” (as Mitchell speculates) then at least the musicians give their devotees something to remember.


By Andy McLean. Copyright held by author.
First published in The Brag, Sydney, August 2010.