When an international act comments on how sticky the carpet is you know that it’s time to call in the cleaners, and the adhesive flypaper masquerading as floor covering at HQ is what I’m talking about. Fortunately, despite being glued to the one position all night, I was thankful for my wife for bringing a spatula so we could at least break free for toilet breaks. OK, a little dramatic there, but you get the picture HQ Management!
Returning to Adelaide after several years, the darlings of Portland, Oregon weren’t letting anything get in the way of having a good time before an adoring audience who were there to show some love. They brought their hometown buddies ‘The Upsidedown’ along to kick off proceedings, and these guys were good! Loud, heavy and alternative, they had more strings in their lineup than a macramé workshop and won the crowd over instantly, especially when lead singer JSun threw out an unplugged version of the Angels ‘Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?’ complete with audience participation. Kudos for that alone! These guys were cool, and took the time to chat with punters and take pics (including with yours truly) after the show.
Taking to the stage after an uproarious welcome, The Dandy Warhols comprising Courtney Taylor-Taylor (singer-guitarist), Peter Holmstrom (guitarist), Zia McCabe (keyboard), and Brent De Boer (drums) satisfied their fans with a non-stop set that was to die for. Playing an array of songs throughout their impressive 20 year career, they haven’t showed any signs of letting up for a long while yet and whilst minimal on the banter between songs, they gave it their all musically from start to finish
Sporting plaited pigtails and not ageing a day since 1994, Taylor and friends held nothing back as they took us on a psychedelic journey of alternative proportions. Kicking off with ‘Mohammed’ then straight into ‘Solid’ and ‘We Used To Be Friends’, the Dandys were pure bliss to watch live as even the mid sixty year old couple next to us attested to. Such is the reach of The Dandys! Ever gorgeous McCabe was a vision of loveliness as she tickled the ivories with the agility and poise of a rock goddess. Given she had little or no musical experience prior to The Dandys, she’s certainly made her mark as one of the industry’s best! Melbourne-based DeBoer was his usual laid back self on the drums and whilst making it look easy, he has great presence and gives as much attention to his playing as his Afro. Holmstrom was awesome as expected, and grinded out each note of Dandy’s songs with the same youthful vigour as he has always done. In the alternative music world, Holmstrom is the doyen and one of the coolest guys to speak with, as this interview we did with him last month before they commenced their Australian tour.
Taylor drove the crowd for little over 90 minutes, striking a contrast of their hits such as alternative anthem ‘Bohemian Like You’ and ‘Godless’ as well as lesser known songs, but surprised everyone when he launched into the opening riff of AC/DC’s ‘Hells Bells’ as not only a mark of respect for AC/DC and Australian rock, but also as a sign that these guys know their fans and what they’re about. After finishing with ‘Pete International Airport/Boys Better’ the band members exited stage left, leaving Taylor alone to do the finale of ‘Everyday Should Be a Holiday’ without backup. It was a slow way to end an otherwise fabulous night, as there was no encore forthcoming, but it didn’t matter. We’d seen a good offering from a band that has been a part of our lives for 20 years and as the elder couple next to us said regarding their status of being the oldest people in the room- “ Who cares if we’re old, we love these guys!” Couldn’t agree more!
Reviewed by Darren Hassan Aug 31
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