Project Description
THE JUNGLE GIANTS
+ LASTLINGS
+ HEAPS GOOD FRIENDS
@ THE GOV 1/9/17 (Live Review)
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When it comes to selling tickets to gigs (or any other type of live entertainment), Adelaide kinda just sucks. Unless of course, you’re The Jungle Giants, who managed to sell out (yes, SELL OUT) The Gov AND play a second show in right here in the lil’ old city of churches.
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Currently on tour to promote their latest album, ‘Quiet Ferocity’, the four-piece from Brisvegas took to the stage with Adelaide locals, Heaps Good Friends and Lastlings on Friday night in front of a crowd who looked like they’d stumbled straight out of 1977 and into The Gov.
After much controversy in the music scene this week regarding the lack of female musicians in the scene, it was nice to see females in all three bands without the show being labelled as some kind of outrageous feminist movement. Despite none of these bands being exactly my cup of tea, it was great to see a bunch of females out there kicking ass and selling out a pretty big Adelaide venue.
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First up were Adelaide locals, Heaps Good Friends, in a performance that was, well, interesting. I’m usually the first to complain that a band doesn’t have enough of a stage presence but these guys (and girl) had so much of a stage presence that it was almost too much to handle. With a mixture of interpretive dancing and an all-round just odd vibe, it immediately became very clear to me that I wasn’t at my usual emo kid show. While they weren’t my favourite band, the crowd clearly disagreed with me, with one of the best turn outs I’ve seen for an opening act in a long time.
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Lastlings took the stage next with an explosive performance that got me much more in the mood to party. Opening with ‘I’ll be there’, the Gold Coast indie-pop brother/sister combo made it clear why they were chosen to be a part of the tour. There’s something effortlessly cool about these guys that makes me want to have their tracks playing casually in the background while I do my mundane daily tasks. Definitely worth checking out.
Finally, as the clock hit 10pm and I was internally debating why the thought of being out past 9.30pm on a Friday night made me want to cry, The Jungle Giants took to the stage to brighten my spirits with their infectiously positive vibes and Friday-night-beers-worthy songs.
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Kicking off the set on a high note, the Brisbane-based group sent the crowd wild with ‘She’s a Riot’, closely followed by another two or three killer tracks before they even began the typical stage banter. The set featured all the hits that the crowd was waiting for like ‘Bad Dream’, ‘In The Garage’ and of course, the title track, Quiet Ferocity, among a plethora of other tracks from various moments in their career.
I spent the first few songs absolutely mesmerised by lead guitarist, Cesira Aitken’s captivating presence. Despite not really doing anything, I was constantly drawn to her throughout the whole set. The whole band just had an epic stage presence and just the right amount of stage banter without being obnoxious, letting their music speak louder than some shitty dad jokes.
Having only heard these guys on Triple J, I didn’t really have very high expectations, but boy, was I wrong! The crowd went absolutely wild throughout the entire set, making it clear to see why these guys (and girl) managed to sell out The freaking Gov!
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