They are here to check out Melbourne outfit British India, a bunch of 19 and 20 year olds who have been creating a bit of a buzz in the music industry over the last year. The band first came to our attention after winning the 2004 Grand Final of Future Rock, which claims to be Australia’s biggest, little band competition. Since then they have toured with big guns such as The Music, Gomez and The Hoodoo Gurus.
British India gets the crowd rockin’. They have such a presence on stage, a raw rock ‘n’ roll sound with the attitude to go along with it. Declan Melia’s voice never fails to make an impact over the loud, ballsy tunes and Nic Wilson’s guitar solos are something to admire. It’s easy to see why these boys have the street credibility that they do.
More people start gathering around the stage for tonight’s headlining act, Tambalane. The band did a lot of ‘practice’ gigs at the venue before going on their official tour. However, tonight they are not hiding out in the back bar but all eyes are on them as they hit the main stage. With the release of their self-titled debut album receiving warm reviews, it’s time to see if the band can produce the goods live.
The brainchild of drummer Ben Gillies (from that little Australian band silverchair), and singer Wesley Carr, Tambalane offer a fusion of late sixties/early seventies pop-rock with a contemporary swing. The size of Gillies moustache definitely says ‘seventies cheese’, and is maybe his way of shedding his silverchair persona and embracing his new musical direction. It seems to work.
They launch into an upbeat set that doesn’t come down a notch for the entire show. Back to You and its catchy beat gets the punters moving and shaking. Carr’s voice is strong and I’m surprised at how versatile it is. As they launch into the tunes Sail and Skywalk it is obvious that the boys are loving being on that stage. It’s hard to imagine anything been able to wipe the huge grins from their faces. This definitely impacts on the crowd and we can feel the love in the air.
A highlight of the set is when they play Jungle. Not a stand out track on the album but tonight it takes on a new life. Drawn out into a funkadelic number with Gillies drumming up some enticing beats and Carr moaning out the lyrics, it works really well under the dim lights in this now nearly full venue. It demonstrates what this band is capable of creating live and it is the song we have in our head when we wake up the next morning.
Tamabalane’s first single Little Miss Liar is pure pop. You can almost taste the sweetness whenever it’s played, but that’s why we like it. It represents what this band are about, having fun. The crowd responds to the first few notes of this track and enjoy every second of it. Then to top of the good vibes floating around the room, the band launch into a cover of The Beatles classic Get Back. What a delightful way to end a great gig, I don’t think anyone left The Annandale that night without a smile on their face. Keep spreading the love, boys.
