Project Description

THE PREATURES

+ Ali Barter + Georgia June

@ The Cambridge

11/08/18

(Live Review)

Reviewer: Jess Moog

.

The Preatures

.

OneBigLink

.

I don’t really consider myself a religious girl, but goddammit The Preatures almost converted me the other night.

The sensational Sydney four-piece are currently doing a string of national shows to promote their new single ‘Magick’, as well as to bang out some of the well-loved hits from their latest album Girlhood. Seeing their sold out gig in Newy was an absolute blast, so shut your mouth darlin’ because somebody’s talking, and that somebody is ME!

.

Ali Barter

Ali Barter // Photo by Newy Digital

.

Shortly after the first act, Georgia June (an indie-rock band whose music was interesting and well-executed) finished up; our friend Ali Barter jumped onstage. I’ve been a huge Ali fan for a while now, so getting to see her play alongside a funky treat like The Preatures was the Betty Crocker icing on top of a seriously sweet night. Her rock-driven tunes and hard-hitting lyrics were performed awesomely, with the contrast between her lovely feminine voice and grungy guitar tones creating some dangerously delicious music. She belted out all the favourites, including ‘Pleas Stay’, ‘Cigarette’ and her fabulous finisher, ‘Girlie Bits’. The room at the Cambo was damn full by this point also, and the crowd’s excited reactions proved just how fun Ali’s music really was. A Suitable Girl indeed!

As the band transition began, I decided to take a page out of Miss Barter’s music book in order to kill some time. And by this I mean have a cigarette, not walk around flashing people my panty lines, so if I actually was doing that, it was incredibly accidental. Raw feminine energy seemed to be the theme of the night though, with The Preatures storming the stage to open with their popular song ‘Girlhood’. Frontwoman Isabella was serving up some viciously sassy looks straight up, which got me super keen for what lay ahead.

.

The Preatures

The Preatures // Photo by JohnnyD Photography

.

By the time the first tune came to an end, the crowd was going bloody ballistic. Usually I manage to get myself a decent stage-seeing spot, however the room was packed to the rafters with severely enthusiastic punters so my eyes were often strapped of vision. Luckily my ears were at least working perfectly, because not long afterwards I heard the recognisably rhythmic intro of the all time classic ‘Somebody’s Talking’. The bangers didn’t end there though, with the band moving into ‘Cruel’, a total crowd pleaser from their debut album Blue Planet Eyes. The Cambo transformed into a vibrating sea of heads as The Preatures continued to funk the crap out of everyone with songs such as ‘Ordinary’ and ‘I Know A Girl’; the trippy blue and pink lighting no doubt also contributing to the crowd’s excess energy.

Each instrument was played remarkably well, which doesn’t come as a surprise really considering most of the band studied at The Australian Institute of Music. For example, Luke’s spectacularly groovy drumming skills had me feeling like he was actually banging on a kit in my brain. Come to think of it, maybe that’s why they call them eardrums? Nevertheless, the snappy guitar riffs and consistently funky bass lines were equally impressive, as was Isabella’s bellowing vocals. Her stage presence was absolutely electric; she was whipping her head around rapidly, jumping off drumkits, wrapping the mic chord around her neck (kinda just looked like a rockin’ choker so that was cool). She even tipped an entire bottle of water over her head for no apparent reason, which was fun but also relatively hard to watch, as I was very thirsty at that time.

.

The Preatures

The Preatures // Photo by Newy Digital

.

Before the band played their last song, Isabella gave a beautiful speech about Australia’s indigenous history, and the importance of acknowledging the original residents of our grouse country. Straight away, they threw themselves into ‘Yanada’, receiving a backing chorus of crowd-goers throughout the entire tune. It was a massive finish for a massively enjoyable gig, so if you get the opportunity, I highly recommend you go see these guys at least once before you die. Or if you are already dead, maybe just haunt the crap outta someone who will!

.

Follow THE PREATURES @ OneBigLink!

.

OneBigLink

.

AMNPLIFY – ET