X-Press Metropolis, Fremantle live review June 21/04

[AGAP]

Pleasing live review, gotta love the part about looking for a 2nd guitarist hiding on stage while J was playing solo…:aliensmile:

X-Press Online

Metropolis Fremantle
Monday, June 21, 2004

What a privilege it was to have this ageing band grace us with their presence for one single WA show when many others simply discount Perth as a stopover detrimental to the tour budget. And albeit wet, a balmy Fremantle winters’ night welcomed Sonic Youth, an equally revered J Mascis and Adelaide’s Hit The Jackpot with the crowd rising to the occasion selling out Metropolis by 10pm. Congrats Perth, hopefully news spreads across the US next month as Sonic Youth share a back-stage drink with the best in music as part of the Lollapalooza festival and who knows, maybe even The Pixies will surf on down here soon?

South Australian duo Hit The Jackpot began their short and sharp set (seven or so one-two minute songs over only 15 minutes) in what looked and sounded like White Stripes fashion, with a female drummer/vocalist centre stage and a long haired chap with guitar by her side. Mid way through the opening song however, it was clear that little of the Detroit duo’s influence exists in HTJP’s gene pool. The sound was an often-schizophrenic blend of stripped back post-rock sounds and grunge-influenced percussion, occasionally eluding description, but the pair definitely succeeded in waking up the room.

Ex-Dinosaur Jnr frontman J Mascis casually set up and took to the stage with a cool understatement that would only be bettered two hours later by Sonic Youth. One man, two guitars and a penchant for a catchy song is the simple review of a weary looking Mascis. Winding the delay up enlarged his sound to the point where you’d find yourself hunting around for a second guitarist surely hiding somewhere on stage, possibly behind a speaker…
But it all worked best for J each time he fed on the distortion and took to his guitar with gusto. The crowd responded well to these moments, and with good reason, it was the frantic jamming instances that picked up the live show.

By the end of Sonic Youth’s rather lengthy double-encore set, it’s safe to say that while the sonic bit is alive and well the youth bit, as highlighted by the greying hair, business-like stage manner and sunken expressions, is clearly not an accurate indication of the band in 2004. The energy manifested itself in plenty of guitar action, experimentation and noodling to the point of annoyance, but not a lot of movement or interaction with the audience – something befitting the grunge ethos and certainly justified at a Sonic Youth show. Thurston Moore likening the security hand signalling to New York interpretive art was a rare and welcome human side to a band that seemed a little to serious for their own good. This is something reviewers have noted about the SY live show for over a decade, so it need not have surprised anyone.

New string addition Jim O’Rourke, all those ageing vocal chords (Kim Gordon especially), and the entire band in general was a faultless machine from start to finish. While the set list probably didn’t cover as much early ground as many older fans would have liked, few stumbled out onto South Terrace early Tuesday morning disappointed.

BRETT LADHAMS

Posted on June 23, 2004 08:46 PM

Comments
I found the first band very enjoyable and unique.
J Mascis did way too many annoying solos on acoustic guitar, the first time around was funny but then it just got boring like any other metal lead guitarist does….(metal lead guitarist… )

Sonic Youth was too loud ( ) the Bass seemed to drown out the important details. But overall it was a good show(apart from the distraction of a hot headed bouncer punching a drunken fan in the face).

Posted by: Renae Grant on June 24, 2004 10:23 PM

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