‘Do the Whirlwind’ single launch: Spectrum, Sydney. December 1st 2004.
One thing about seeing bands - they are often the more fascinating for being a completely different entity live. We listen to ‘em so much and when we see ‘em – mon dieu! – they’re human being that eat, drink, shit and get pissed off just as much as the rest of us. Some bands but on a persona on stage – they ARE that band! Some simply reconstitute their records, deliver perfectly and leave. Others, like the five guys and three girls who comprise Architecture In Helsinki – are SO unbelievably into their music and love playing it, they live for the thrill of being on stage. Never before have I seen such fun and happiness on one stage from so many people.
So what brings me to Sydney, a friendly stranger asks? One day’s work for Camp America – expenses paid. I arrived Saturday and should have left Monday. I change my flight so I can see the Tea Party on Tuesday so I leave on Wednesday. But upon arrival on Saturday, I check out the local hood and find this gem of a club called Spectrum which has Architecture on Wednesday. If I change my ticket again, it’ll cost a meagre $30 and I get to see and awesome pop band from Melbourne. I’d be silly not to.
So what of Spectrum – a most colourful, flamboyant venue? Nup. The only flamboyance is an impressive farm of glitterballs on the ceiling. There’s an uber-pierced blood-red haired, enormously bosomed and terribly impersonal barmaid. Dark corners hide an array of goths, club chicks, surfies, long-haired metal dudes, twinks, indie-kids, Morrissey fans and krazy kitch kidz of deff. And this is on the Saturday night when I venture out in search of some decent clubbing. I’ve been to Sydney and seen the gay bars, now I want to find somewhere where I connect – somewhere REALLY fun! The DJ spins a mix which has little to do with what songs go well together, more of what songs come out randomly from the last 25 years like a massive I-Pod hit on random. Hence we get Korn next to the Goblin Dance from Labrynth next to Martha Reeves, The Pixies, Chemical Brothers, Boogie Box High, Kim Wilde, Killswitch, Franz Ferdinand, Rancid… Dance? I almost had to buy two pairs of new shoes in one night.
So it’s now Wednesday. I meet with Dan (good mate of Paul’s) skip gleefully to Spectrum. Change of flight = $30. Architecture ticket = $13. Pissing off the boss by giving her 24 hours notice you won’t be back to work for another day coz you’ve already changed your flight and “couldn’t POSSIBLY pass the opportunity to see a pop band = priceless!
For $13, we don’t JUST get Architecture, we also get an acute reminder of what bad music is in the form of MC 4-Real. She is as bad as the name suggests. An absolute parody of white rap performed without irony. Head to toe white Adidas, vocal “wikka-wikki-chicka” faux scratchin’, terrible rhymes (“Wave yer hands in the air / and wave them like you just don’t care yo-yo-yo-yo!!!”) and talk of “my bruvvas and sistahs” and some nonsense trying to make out she is somehow repressed and hard done by in the stifling ‘hood that is Redfern… MC 4-Real is a classic case of a niche market where her audience resides entirely in her mirror. Good on her for giving it a go but if I never hear the phrase “make some nooiiiiiizze yo!” again, I’ll be just a tad happy.
I spot a scrawny bloke in a white tee with the tribute “RIP ODB”. I’m stunned! I ask him when Ol’ Dirty Bastard died. “A couple of weeks ago” he politely informs. I sink back to my drink, a moment’s dignified silence punctuating my next volley of criticisms for 4-Real.
Next up, two girls and one guy who form Chaos. The kind of energetic punky threepiece that likes to challenge the preconceptions. The girls look cute but scream and mash their guitars like torturous ex boyfriends. The lad looks 15 but has a voice of a 29 year old rock-warhorse who’s been smoking for 28 years. The three of them change instruments. The lad sings lead from the drumstool. All songs are 90 second power-punk thrashes. And none of this Blink-182, Sum 41 or whatever plus number bullshit punk-posturing. This is loud, fast, energetic and from the heart delivered with the boot. Not the most original sound ever but full marks for conviction and sweaty balls.
The stage at Spectrum is small. So far, MC 4 Real and Chaos have both filled it amply. So what hope we pray for the 8 piece Architecture In Helsinki, plus their plethora of brass instruments, two keyboards, 2 drum kits, melodicas, percussion, guitars and kitchen sink? It’s the performance equivalent of a Japanese train in rush hour. And on stage left, there’s the guy in the RIP ODB tee. Up with the brass, up with the drum machine (oh hang on – haven’t they got two dumkits?….Oh they’re playing them AS WELL!!!), bounce-boing-bidda-bap-pop! We’re in Happyland! One drummer is wearing a t-shirt of New York noodlers, Beans. That’ll impress Greaser and Les Zubli, I think to myself (it might if you realised Beans is a solo act - pedantic ed).
Every song sees a complete change in positions and instruments. It’s like watching a Transformer play Twister with itself. They play their two hits from last year – Like A Call and The Owl’s Go. I look forward to seeing how the latter’s 6 year old “Attic in the basement” line gets represented…only perhaps it wasn’t a 6 year old after all coz that lady sounds incredibly like a young child when she screws her face like a shrew. I just want to run on-stage and cuddle this whole band. A good friend recently asked me if I liked any music that wasn’t miserable. Well, what about this gorgeous rag-taggle of cutie-pies? That’s what I shoulda said…
Three songs in and it must be noted that the whole band seem INSANELY euphoricly happy to be on stage. Smiles rarely leave faces. Dancing never stops. The audience bounce in unison. The two girls at the front constantly laugh and simply happy their way through the set, changing instruments mid-song, laughing when nearly knocking the Roland over whilst changing places… The album In Case We Die is apparently coming in February, with perhaps a tad more synthesisers on the new songs such as the single – Do the Whirlwind – which debuted tonight. But with everyone apparently playing everything at some point, one can’t help but wonder of the logistical nightmares of writing, jamming and rehearsing. It’s hard enough to get 4 people together for practises what with day jobs and everything so how do Architecture do it and not show strain on stage? Bugger knows, but for 45 minutes, they lap up every second with delicious playful glee. Betwixt two songs, some banter about how it’s good to be visiting Sydney from Melbourne. I chime in with “Come to Perth!” which is met by an almost painful wishful laugh!
Later, I corner 4 architects and enthuse how I’d changed my flight just for this gig. I’ve bought 4 copies of the single – one for me, one for 3 friends. They are all mightily gracious and really want to come to Perth but understandably the logistics and costs of flying 8 people to Perth are baffling. I wonder now how The Polyphonic Spree ever got it together and think how they would not have lasted two seconds in Australia. Still – we discuss how the Rosemount would be an awse venue for them. Steve Martin once said that talking about music is like dancing about architecture. M’eh – what does he know? I did both tonight and it’s the happiest I’ve been in ages!
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