In a week full of sideline gigs following on from St Jerome’s Laneway festival, this was surely one of the those I was most looking forward to. Stars had had some issues at Laneway with terrible feedback and all around poor sound coming out of their performance in Caledonian Lane. It forced this aficionado to abandon the crush before even hearing one song and eventually prompted singer Amy Millan to walk off stage for the first time in 8 years of performing.
Thankfully there were no such issues at the East Brunswick on Thursday – Stars were in fabulous form, and eager to make up for the Laneway debacle. I can honestly say they did that and then some. For a band that could (should?) sell out much larger theatres, they seemed genuinely thankful and pleased to be here and the sellout crowd was definitely feeling the love.
Torquil Campbell’s frantic, dramatic vocals combined with the angelic sounds of Amy Millan to create a sound more urgent and, although perhaps not always perfect, I think more immediate and affecting than the recordings. The band’s two headed assault from two such very different performers is probably what makes them so desirable and interesting to both hear and watch. I’ve heard at times that Campbell’s dramatics threaten to overpower the musical experience occasionally, but in this instance I think it was always tempered by the sultry, subdued, almost feline-like presence of Millan which kept everything in perfect equilibrium. The woman is sexy with a capital ‘S’ and seems to be able to do that rare thing of making every person in the audience think she is singing only to them, and with a voice like hers that is a special feeling indeed.
Campbell enjoys a bit of banter with the crowd and as he told us, likes to introduce songs in fake accents. The part time thespian actually did manage a very passable Aussie one to say “This next song is about f*cking someone to death and we hope you enjoy it“ before ripping into ‘One More Night’, a song which typifies everything I find appealing about Stars. They are able to deliver such biting and dark lyrics through the guise of a sweet pop song. There always seems to be an underlying bitterness or discontent on even the most beautiful of tunes, a contrast which gives their work much more depth and interest. This is not just ‘twee pop” it’s smart, and melodic and damn entertaining.
When Campbell revealed his t-shirt with the hastily scribbled “I miss Grant McLennan” message across the front, we only loved him all the more. Although he surmised that some of the crowd were a little young to be Go Betweens fans, Campbell’s small tribute to “the greatest songwriter of all time” made sure that tomorrow all those that didn’t know already know them “had found their new favourite band.” A nice touch from a band that have written some wonderful songs themselves.
In a set that was heavy on numbers from latest album In our bedroom after the War, but featuring tracks from every album ( including a sublime version of ‘Going, Going, Gone’ from Nightsongs) this was a gig which showcased the diverse sounds and stories that Stars are capable of producing and the talents of every member of the band. From sweet, quiet pop to desperate screaming, every angle was completely wonderful and entertaining. Almost every song could be called a standout, from the heart wrenching disappointment of ‘Personal’ to the all out fun of ‘Take me to the Riot’ to the bittersweetness of ‘Midnight Coward’ they had us in their emotional grip for the entire gig.
The band came back to for one encore to give us a heartfelt rendition of ‘Calendar girl’ and a particularly spirited and intense version of ‘What I’m trying to say’ before finally ending on the soft, warm tones of ‘The Woods’. In the end Stars left us not only with the many roses that they thrown into the crowd, but with a feeling on contentment upon seeing them perform so well and with such genuine heart and pleasure. I only hope they do keep’ schlepping’ back again and again as they promised – if the crowd at the East Brunswick was anything to go by, they will always have a devoted and welcoming audience.
Check out this album on fasterlouder for some great pics
