In what was possibly the coolest night of music in ages, The Gov hosted Alternative music legends The Stems, along with Trafalgar and Garden Path in a groove-laden lineup of some seriously great guitar driven rock.
As the crowd were still shuffling in to get a good spot, 3-piece local act Trafalgar kicked off with a tight & well constructed set that was a perfect opener. Garden Path, an old school 6-piece outfit followed up with a melodic set of old school Indie tunes backed up with a wicked keyboard that, again, was a great pairing for The Stems.
Launching straight into the ‘At First Sight’ album, The Stems, featuring the amazing Dom Mariani along with Julian Matthews, Dave Shaw, Ashley Naylor and Davey Lane were in fine form as they punched through song after song, delivering a stellar show. They were tight, clean, and were clearly enjoying themselves on stage as much as the audience of mostly over 40 somethings were. Their repertoire encompassed all three of their albums, with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. It’s hard to explain the effect that a band like The Stems has on you, but for us older music lovers who consider ourselves original fans, their music takes you back to simpler times when music was a great outlet that was devoid of politics and the rigours of daily life. Listening to these guys live evoked memories of the late 80’s/early 90’s, when Blue-Black hair, paisley shirts, and winkle picker shoes were a fashion statement for us Alternative types. The Stems, along with other bands of the era such as The Triffids, Go-Betweens, and The Church, led the way in terms of the Alternative scene here in Oz.
(Check out our interview with Dom Mariani recently)
Their music is timeless and having had the opportunity to pop backstage to say hi, they were a genuinely great bunch of guys and were loving life playing together. One of the best nights of music I’ve seen in a while, and I’ve seen plenty!
What a great year it’s been for The Gov, Bravo!
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