Project Description

THE BAMBOOS

With PINK MATTERS

“Night Time People Tour” 

@The Triffid 

10/08/2018 

(Live Review)

Reviewer: Meg Price

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The Bamboos

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Blue lights, the humble buzz of conversation and empty glasses dispersed across the room set the tone for the night. First to the stage was Brisbane girl group Pink Matters; a 4 piece ‘neo-soul’ band. These girls recently won the people choice award in the Brisbane City Council’s QUBE award, and for obvious reasons. These young women were captivating to watch, they performed with the maturity of a well-seasoned group even though they’ve only been established for two years. Their chemistry was palpable. All members knew exactly what each other were doing at all times, in some king of psychic way.

All were individually incredibly talented, the vocalist, Kerry Raywood, who’s vocals were mellow and melodic enchanted the room. But to me the standout performer was the drummer, Libby Scott, whose drumming was so incredibly complex at times, people didn’t know which way to sway, yet she made it look as if she wasn’t even trying. Even though her timing was like a different language to the rest of us, it seemed Pink Matters were bilingual, as they all knew every intricate queue and pattern. Overall these guys were incredibly mature both lyrically and melodically, they are definitely one to look out for and their control over the room definitely proved that they were a great choice to open up for The Bamboos.

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Bamboos 1

Photo: Songbird Photography

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Which brings us to the stars of the night; The Bamboos. Just in case you have been living under a rock for the past 18 years, The Bamboos are a 9 piece Melbourne funk and soul group who, to put it bluntly, know their sh*t. These guys have it all, they have energy, chemistry and pure talent and love for music. As soon as the group walked on stage everyone’s excitement became tangible, as they opened with such bright and infectious energy. Immediately owning the stage was singer, and queen in her own right, Kylie Auldist, whose performance was unforgettable. Immediately this concert felt like a party, and it quickly became one when they performed ‘Happy Birthday,’ for their lighting technician, exemplifying how tight and connected their team really are. They then got back into the set playing a mixture of their new content and their older content. Throughout the night they played favourites from their headlining album, Night Time People such as ‘Stranded’, ‘Golden ticket’, and of course, ‘Night Time People.’ They also mixed it up playing notable favourites from their older albums like ‘On the sly’, ‘Like tears in rain’ and ‘Keep me in mind.’ They also managed to sneak in their famous cover of James Blake’s ‘The Wilhelm Scream.

Every single member of the group was captivating in their performance, which made it hard for my eyes to decide which member to watch. One highlight of the night, however, is when trumpeter, Ross Irwin traded in his instrument for the mic as he absolutely rocked his rendition of ‘I’ll make you happy,’ proving he could own the stage in more ways than one.

Another stand out moment was when frontman Lance Ferguson introduced his band, directing the focus around the stage as everyone performed their own solos. It goes without saying, every member killed it, but a special mention goes out to the bassist Yuri Pavlinov who went so hard he made the bass sound like it had 8 strings.

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The Bamboos

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These guys are an incredibly tight band and had such remarkable chemistry which can only come from years and years of creating and performing together. Every member had such pure and genuine love for the music which transcended into their performance, making the music flow like no other. Every transition and every move was incredibly smooth and natural. They honestly did perform like one big family; even after performing for nearly two decades you could tell they still enjoyed and lived in every moment which is not always the case in a lot of live acts. It seemed they got just as much enjoyment out of watching the crowd dance as the crowd did watching them perform.

If you hadn’t gathered already, this concert was absolutely stunning and I can’t speak highly enough of them, not only musicians but performers. When a band has to split revenue 9 ways you know they’re not just in it for the money; the passion for what they do was infectious. If you haven’t seen The Bamboos perform before I would highly recommend them, even to people who usually aren’t into the funk/ soul scene, as long as you have an appreciation for good music and a good time. Don’t miss their Night Time People tour, it’s definitely not one to miss.

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The Bamboos

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The Bamboos

Night Time People Tour

Tour Dates

Tickets Here

4 August/ Corner Hotel, Melbourne

10 August/ The Triffid, Brisbane

11 August/ Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

17 August/ Rosemount, Perth

18 August/ The Gov, Adelaide

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Follow THE BAMBOOS
@ OneBigLink

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