The Polyphonic Spree – Live at the SoCo Carnivale, The Forum : Gig Reviews

In what was shaping up to be one fo the more interesting corporate – musical partnerships to eventuate since whenever, a certain brand of popular southern licquer, the name of which I’m sure you are now all very aware, did not disappoint in its debut promotional event, the SoCo Carnivale featuring The Polyphonic Spree.

Given that any highly sponsored event would usually make most socially conscious uni students cringe, the night managed to escape what most people would deem ‘in-your-face advertising’ – that is of course if you take out the fact that every other drink imaginable was well out of sight.

The evenings head wear wasn't restricted to the concert.

This was my first ever live experience of  The Polyphonic Spree. A fact of which I was most excited. However,  I wish it was the only first I could tell you about. Listen in…

As my girlfriend went to get drinks and I was lonesome for no longer than 3-and-a-half minutes (I have no empirical evidence that this is how long she took, I simply have an incredibly keen sense of judging elapsed time), I was set upon by an hysterically drunk twenty-something woman, who upon walking up to me grabbed my arm and uttered “Sorry, I just have to do this…”.

I can’t really describe to you what it’s like when someone bites your arm in public. The main thoughts that engulf your mind are ‘This really hurts!’ and ‘Please Stop this now!’. Directly after, however, you become more a little more relaxed, and concern yourself with maintaining your ‘perceived well-being’ status, and try to act as if some psychotically drunk woman DIDN’T just bite your arm. I’d like to think I succeeded on this front.

The audience enjoying the festivities

Anyway, as my girlfriend came back with a southern fruity drink, The Polyphonic Spree adorned the stage disguised with the help of a thin vale, only emitting each band-members delicately wavering silhouettes. Building up with a crescendo that would make Sigur Ros blush, these happy Texans began wowing the crowd with their uplifting brand of contemporary-classical pop anthems whilst dressed in matching jeans and rusty brown patterned T-Shirts.

Hold Me Now brought a sense of familiarity to the crowd, most of whom would not have heard much from The Polyphonic Spree since their first and most famous trip to Australia back in 2005. Light and Day was played suprisingly early, yet evoked a mass hysteria that invoked a combination of on-the-spot dancing and fist-pumping, while Running Away was impressive.

One thing that The Polyphonic Spree have become known for over the last few years is their willingness to perform covers.  They rifled through Paul McCartney’s Live and Let Die, The Rolling Stones’ She’s A Rainbow, Thunderclap Newman’s Something In The Air, as well as the now well established Lithium by Nirvana.

After a brief moment off stage, they came back and finished off with an encore that included Together We’re Heavy and Two Thousand Places, which was well recieved by all as they were showered with baloons and confetti.

Vocalist Tim Delaughter getting excited

In the performance, there were at times a feeling of audience resentment. Whether it was one occasional sit-down too many, or a lack of audience interaction, they seemed a little flat at times.
This might seem a little harsh, but compared with what a band like The Polyphonic Spree are capable of producing, it remains a valid point in my opinion. And allow me to say that this was noticable only in that the flow of the show came across a little more stagnant. To be fair, I suppose listening to two hours to a band who’s whole musical output is comprised of epic and grandeur endings can become a little tedious, even if it is The Polyphonic Spree. That said, the night was a roaring success. One that I hope sets about the motion for planning next years event. Who said corporate greed couldn’t be interesting?

All photos taken by Andrew Johnson.