Naming their band after Led Zeppelin’s mandolin-drenched number The Battle Of Evermore, New Zealand-born brothers Jon, Peter and Dann Hume have forged a pretty impressive path since first earning a smattering of Triple J airplay via a series of EPs released while all were still teenagers. In terms of earning a solid commercial standing while still young enough to be flipping burgers they are among the most accomplished Australiasian groups to emerge since Silverchair busted many of the established norms in the mid 1990s. But how much of their following has developed due to the careful path laid for them by music industry hype and the odd strategically-placed tv appearance, as opposed to plain quality? There is little doubt that their adoption by now defunct young adult melodrama The OC, as well as commercial radio, had a sizeable impact on the growth and demographic of their fanbase.
This fanbase is in evidence on arrival at Thebarton Theatre, though the overall attendance for the weeknight show, which also features self-effacing English miserablists Aqualung, turns out to be far from a sell-out. Indie lovers, Triple M listeners and a gaggle of teenage girls mill around the front of the floor, where the band are set-up to play in line abreast across the stage. Following Aqualung’s understatedly impressive 40 minutes, during which they deal deftly with the age-old performance obstacle of a broken string, Evermore emerge to a reception bordering on the fevered. The squealing is at a near Netball match level by the time lead vocalist Jon first breaks into song, backed up by a 15-strong choir that has followed the band around to each of their shows on the tour. Unfortunately their harmonies seemed to be lost in the din of drums, keys, guitar and fans, and ultimately the effect was more visual than aural. The choir is one of numerous experiments tried throughout the night, in addition to a a handful of new songs, a handy Beatles cover and an encore devoid of hits. Each was to show that Evermore remain a promising group, but one that is yet to mature, something the trio may struggle to do if they start to accept the adulation of a loyal but somewhat limited crowd as “enough”.
Promotional material for Evermore’s second album Real Life has had the band discussing at length how they had wanted to make a more “song-oriented” record than the sonically unified but at the same time narrow Dreams. At times on the album and on the stage they succeed, tracks such as Light Surrounding You and Running building their own momentum. Overall, though, their sound lacks contrast, with songs tending to merge in the memory, from Jon’s impassioned yet childlike vocals to Peter’s crowd-pleasing (he spends much of the show playing while walking around carrying his keyboard) if limited key and bass lines. Pleasingly, among the most intriguing songs of the show was a new one, the prog structure and Zeppelinesque riffs of Between The Lines providing a far more bracing listen than much of the rest, even if Muse have already pushed through much of the same territory.
Having worked through the remainder of the main set with some panache, the trio re-emerged for an encore that began with a nod to this year’s 40th anniversary of the Fab Four’s proto-concept album Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Their tidy cover of With a Little Help From My Friends was more Paul McCartney than Joe Cocker, and the unkind might have suggested that it was comfortably the strongest song played all night. That view was to be strengthened by the closing three numbers, which, while pleasant, were surely too nondescript for a finale. It resulted in a finish that felt hushed and tired, in contrast to the palpable energy on show, from both band and crowd, at the start. The path to the post-show exit was blocked by an ardent queue at the merchandise booth, all intent on grabbing an instantly burned copy of the show they had just seen. Once the doors had been negotiated, another queue was visible outside – that of parents waiting to drive their high schooler offspring home.
