Arriving at the old Thebarton Town Hall just after 4:30pm in the afternoon today, my companion and I were suprised to discover that we were the first ones there. Yet, as time slowly passed, a que (two, actually) formed and excitement was rampant throughout the cluster of youngsters that seemed to form the mass of the audience attending the show. With doors opening somewhere around 7:20pm, we then found ourselves at the front of a different que, one which was in a small corridor, with closed doors at the end that we all knew led to the floor section of the theatre. Sound check for the opening act was still taking place, and we all grooved to the funky beats and breakdowns, and stared at the closed door with anticipation as stage lighting filtered through the gap between the door and the floor. Finally, doors were opened, and naturally, we were front-row centre.
Local Adelaide group Former Child Stars opened with what was quite an impressive set. This much talked about local group is full of indie-dance awesomeness, yet have a kind of brit-pop/rock sensibility to them that makes them appealing to more than just the average indie kid. I was very happily suprised by the lighting used for these guys during their set, with the lighting crew actually working to make their set looks impressive - unlike most opening acts, who have lousy lighting during their set due to tech guys simply worrying about the main act and main support.
In-between sets Adelaide DJ, and bass player in the Sneaky Sound System band, Donnie Sloan played a DJ set, and while a lot of the stuff played wasn't too much chop, considering how mainstream the crowd was, I did really appreciate hearing Daft Punk's Television Rules the Nation and Aerodyamic, both of which got the crowd excited more than any other song, as well as Music Sounds Better with You, Back in Black and a great remix of Timberlake's LoveStoned.
Main opening act, Modular artist Robyn, from Sweden, was trying her hardest to impress this small town crowd who obviously had no idea who she was. She popped and locked her dance moves across the Thebby stage, belting out song after song, yet the crowd never really seemed to respond. Her European beats, which we mostly all slowish, weren't what this crowd was hoping for, and her vocals were too low, lost the majority of the time under the sound of the two dual-drummers she has accompanying her.
Finally, at around 10:30pm, Sneaky Sound System graced the Thebby stage, in their biggest Adelaide show to date. Opening with the sans-Connie song Tease Me, the crowd was very excited. It had become apparant that SSS have come to town with quite the laser light show in tow. Awesome lasers darted out towards us, and around us. Sometimes coming in the form of beams, other times overlapping to create a "grid" type effect. The always beautiful, and easily the hottest chick in Australian music ever, Miss Connie joined her band on stage during the second song, a new tune that I'm not too sure on the name of. Blasting through hit after hit, the immense heat that was locked into the theatre had reached the stage, and sweat poured off all the performers. New songs were roadtested, with the highlight being the first song from the encore titled Kansas City, a song with their same stylings that they had for their debut album, but with more mature lyrics. Highlights from their set were all the usual fodder, I Love It, UFO, Pictures and Goodbye - but, with tunes as fun as these, who can complain. It has become very apparant to me that this really is Connie Mitchell's band - she commands the stage with her deep stares and theatrical posing. Her vocals are so strong and the rest of the band, just like their audience, melts under her presence. MC Double D is a great hype man, but his stage presence doesn't stretch much further from there, and Black Angus, who is the creative mastermind behind the group, has a continuous look of being drunk or on some very heavy drugs. He pulls the look off, but, only just.
I'm sure all of you know by now that a Sneaky Sound System show means a frickin' party, and I honestly do urge everyone to see them when the visit your town. They have a few festival gigs coming up in the new year, and I for one will definitely see them when they play Adelaide again on February 21. Also, keep an eye out for their sophomore album. It shall be huge, just like their debut.
* * * * out of * * * * *
~Film-Fanatic
Local Adelaide group Former Child Stars opened with what was quite an impressive set. This much talked about local group is full of indie-dance awesomeness, yet have a kind of brit-pop/rock sensibility to them that makes them appealing to more than just the average indie kid. I was very happily suprised by the lighting used for these guys during their set, with the lighting crew actually working to make their set looks impressive - unlike most opening acts, who have lousy lighting during their set due to tech guys simply worrying about the main act and main support.
In-between sets Adelaide DJ, and bass player in the Sneaky Sound System band, Donnie Sloan played a DJ set, and while a lot of the stuff played wasn't too much chop, considering how mainstream the crowd was, I did really appreciate hearing Daft Punk's Television Rules the Nation and Aerodyamic, both of which got the crowd excited more than any other song, as well as Music Sounds Better with You, Back in Black and a great remix of Timberlake's LoveStoned.
Main opening act, Modular artist Robyn, from Sweden, was trying her hardest to impress this small town crowd who obviously had no idea who she was. She popped and locked her dance moves across the Thebby stage, belting out song after song, yet the crowd never really seemed to respond. Her European beats, which we mostly all slowish, weren't what this crowd was hoping for, and her vocals were too low, lost the majority of the time under the sound of the two dual-drummers she has accompanying her.
Finally, at around 10:30pm, Sneaky Sound System graced the Thebby stage, in their biggest Adelaide show to date. Opening with the sans-Connie song Tease Me, the crowd was very excited. It had become apparant that SSS have come to town with quite the laser light show in tow. Awesome lasers darted out towards us, and around us. Sometimes coming in the form of beams, other times overlapping to create a "grid" type effect. The always beautiful, and easily the hottest chick in Australian music ever, Miss Connie joined her band on stage during the second song, a new tune that I'm not too sure on the name of. Blasting through hit after hit, the immense heat that was locked into the theatre had reached the stage, and sweat poured off all the performers. New songs were roadtested, with the highlight being the first song from the encore titled Kansas City, a song with their same stylings that they had for their debut album, but with more mature lyrics. Highlights from their set were all the usual fodder, I Love It, UFO, Pictures and Goodbye - but, with tunes as fun as these, who can complain. It has become very apparant to me that this really is Connie Mitchell's band - she commands the stage with her deep stares and theatrical posing. Her vocals are so strong and the rest of the band, just like their audience, melts under her presence. MC Double D is a great hype man, but his stage presence doesn't stretch much further from there, and Black Angus, who is the creative mastermind behind the group, has a continuous look of being drunk or on some very heavy drugs. He pulls the look off, but, only just.
I'm sure all of you know by now that a Sneaky Sound System show means a frickin' party, and I honestly do urge everyone to see them when the visit your town. They have a few festival gigs coming up in the new year, and I for one will definitely see them when they play Adelaide again on February 21. Also, keep an eye out for their sophomore album. It shall be huge, just like their debut.
* * * * out of * * * * *
~Film-Fanatic
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