GANG OF YOUTHS + Gordi + Fountaineer @ Festival Hall 06/09/17 (Live Review)

Go Farther in Lightness became the #1 album in Australia for 2 weeks, and in that time, Gang of Youths have returned to Aus for their biggest headline tour yet playing in some of Australia’s largest venues with three of the shows selling out. With two great supporting acts and solidifying themselves as one of our best homegrown acts, Gang of Youths put on a spectacle not to be missed.

GANG OF YOUTHS / / Photo – Nick Tucker

Fountaineer kicked the show off with an energy that always impresses, starting off with Sirens (Parts 1 & 2); a great opener. The way frontman Tony White starts out slow and sombre, but then powerfully delivers that massive chorus, it gives the crowd that kick they need from a supporting act straight up. We got great tunes like Still Life, The Cricketers, Lights Beyond the Edge of Town and Words with Friends which can give both the mellow vibes but as well offer the ability to dance which perfectly set up the show for it’s headline act. You can’t beat the little things that Fountaineer do that presents their showmanship so well, the switching of who plays guitar and bass, all four of the members singing at once that adds that wholesome feeling to their respective songs. Fountaineer’s finisher, I Will Become/Hinges On, seems like a massive jam session up stage that you can dance along to. The band from Bendigo never fail to impress.

GANG OF YOUTHS / / Photo – Nick Tucker

Next to hype the crowd was Gordi with a piano, acoustic guitar and two mics, with a drummer and keyboard player by her sides. Performing a lot of tracks off her new debut record, Reservoir, Gordi was perfect for delivering some sweet and touching ballads. Most notably were the tracks On My Side and Heaven I Know. Both having their self-looped backing vocals that were just a treat to listen to. A track like On My Side that has a sweet but sad sense to it that made you feel like you couldn’t help move with it as Gordi sang up on stage, while Heaven I Know made you watch on in awe as she delivered an intense passion into her mic. An incredibly soulful performance from Gordi.

GANG OF YOUTHS / / Photo – Nick Tucker

Le Réel began to play while beautiful balls of light floated around the projected backdrop, as Sydney’s boys walked out on stage, Donnie, Max, Joji and Jung, the crowd cheering incredibly loud as Dave Le’aupepe walked out on stage with his green axe. “Melbourne, we are Gang of Youths from Sydney…” and with that the crowd went wild, after finishing a little introduction, a few banging guitar notes and crashing drums were played and What Can I Do If the Fire Goes Out? started the show off with a force. After that GoY delivered a few more epic tracks Atlas Drowned, Fear & Trembling, both which really got heads banging. For these songs Dave worked the stage, gesturing, pointing and greatly interacting with the crowd. Sjamboksa was next with it’s guitar riff that’s simply iconic to the fan base, a great way to transition from the loud and grandiose tracks into the more slower ones. As he swapped from his beautiful new White & Gold Gretsch back to the green guitar he began with, they did one of the most beautiful new tracks off Go Farther, Keep Me in the Open, delivering probably even more emotion live than the record version.

GANG OF YOUTHS / / Photo – Nick Tucker

A red keyboard that had been on stage from the beginning hadn’t been touched, until the lights went down, Donnie and Max went off stage and streams on light shone across Dave from above and it felt like it was just him and the keyboard. Kansas began to play and Dave executed a beautiful performance of the track with Jung and Joji helping out with the instrumental. Dave took a moment to talk about the meaning and story behind the band’s first record, The Positions, and the hardest moments he and his partner, at the time, went through while she had cancer; particularly the treatment. Though he also sincerely talked about his love for everyone in the crowd, and to not be shy to sing along because he was sure she would’ve wanted us to. The slow, dark and sombre piano keys of Knuckles White Dry were played and it’s safe to say it would be hard to find a dry eye inside Festival Hall; simply beautiful. Once that had finished, a lovely liquid gold display was projected on the screen as Le Symbolique began to play, Donnie and Max came back out, and like the album, transitioned so smoothly into Let Me Down Easy. And let me tell you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a display of dance moves performed with such sass and swagger on stage like Le’aupepe did that night, with only a mic in hand, he had the crowd dancing with the biggest smiles on their faces.

GANG OF YOUTHS / / Photo – Nick Tucker

Dave got up on to the kickdrum and began to wave his hands like a conductor as Magnolia started, the crowd cheering as Gang of Youths were about to do their most popular song. Dave spent the majority of the song in the crowd as he ran off stage, went right through to the middle and performed the second chorus in the centre of the Hall, surrounded by fans. Once he was back up on stage and Magnolia had finished, Le’aupepe began to talk to the audience about the cynics of the world and how the next song was for us, in sense that we need to embrace the things around us and accept our humanness; The Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows was played with both an energetic and emotional drive that would be incredibly hard to top. Moving back to the piano Dave spoke about his best friend, a man named Dave Andrew, who played some piano in the recording of Go Farther, and how there was a major loss he friend had. Going on to say that the two had a conversation that changed Dave’s life, Persevere was done with heart and feeling as it also served well with it’s slow burn and triumphant ending to ease into the next track: Radioface. The crowd were ready for The Heart is a Muscle as they were starting to shout for it just as the lights came up and the words “Break me off a piece of that, and mix it in with a little wine…” were sung, Gang of Youths’ audience going wild at a clear favourite off the new record. To finish off in good fashion, Vital Signs ended the set, as Donnie was hitting the kick drum with a smile on his face to see such an excited and loyal audience, Le’aupepe was jumping around the stage, closing off strong. The whole band working using the stage with both crowd engagement and vigour.

GANG OF YOUTHS / / Photo – Nick Tucker

The audience was cheering for an encore before Gang of Youths had even left the stage, and after a few minutes of applause, whistles and chanting, the boys came back out. A white spiral pattern behind them and performed Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane, a slow burner that was so wonderfully loud and striking for it’s climactic end. Back on the piano, Dave and the crowd performed Go Farther in Lightness together, Dave letting the Hall sing while he did the piano, a choir singing back to him. To completely end the show they did the explosive Say Yes to Life, Gang of Youths leaving nothing left in the tank. They grouped together and wave the crowd goodbye, leaving us a show that made you want to fly to Sydney to see it again two days later.