Project Description

CLOUD CONTROL

@ The Brightside

06.04.18

(Live Review)

Review By: Alexandra Ainsworth

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In support of their latest single release, Panopticon, Blue Mountain three-piece Cloud Control have embarked on an intimate two-date tour—the first stop of which is at Brisbane’s the Brightside.

The three, who are tonight joined tonight by Doug Wright on bass, are quick to jump into their set to the delight of the tipsy crowd. First track Treetops is the perfect opportunity for the band to show off nearly every asset: from shared vocals between Alister Wright (guitar) and Heidi Lenffer (keys) to Ulrich Lenffer’s propelling drumbeat, Cloud Control are surprisingly quick to impress.

The band’s live presence immediately boasts more depth and fervor than I initially anticipated. The lolling lyrics to second track Dojo Rising spark a deep sense of intimacy as the crowd lovingly sing the nostalgia-soaked lyrics back to the band. It’s undoubtedly a touching moment, one reminiscent of earlier days in Australian indie (a lá Little Red and Hungry Kids Of Hungary). The track, alongside others such as Dream Cave, Scar, and Summer Rave, are a testament to the band’s ability to write deceptively simple but deeply emotive songs. Most of their newer material from latest record, Zone, boasts more experimental production with a wider array of instrumentals, but it’s the slower, more stripped back tracks that Cloud Control do best.

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Midway through the set comes Promises: the chance for Wright to fully flex his vocals. The frontman holds nothing back as he belts out the slow-burner with an unbridled passion that is impossible not to admire. It’s admittedly a little rough around the edges, but the moments where Wright’s voice ever so slightly falters are also the moments that make him all the more endearingly human. The overwhelming intensity, however, is immediately broken after the track as Wright jokes about messing up the lyrics with the crowd. He chats with punters in the front row who insist the band play Happy Birthday, which he refuses as they’ve “forgot how to play it live” (continuing his defense by saying “Yeah well, how many of you remembered to do the dishes tonight? … That’s what I thought”). 

The hour-long setlist is a mix of songs from all three records, with the band’s cover of The Cranberries’ Dreams and Kid Cudi’s Pursuit Of Happiness both making an appearance. The highlight of the night, however, is undoubtedly the intimacy of the venue. Despite being almost uncomfortably full, the Brightside provides the perfect opportunity to not only see Cloud Control perform as a band, but the opportunity to see the band as people. Wright jokingly promises to continue to tour Brisbane forever (“and ever”), an obvious over-exaggeration that garners a fair few laughs, but there’s still a part of me that can’t help but hope that it’s true.

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