The Cairos

Melbournes Indie rockers British India have been covering the festival circuit lately playing festivals including Groovin the Moo, Ripe Noosa and Come Together, so it was enjoyable to watch them let their hair down and have some fun at a more intimate gig at the Hi-Fi Bar on Saturday night.

Brisbane’s local indie group The Bloodpoets kicked off the night’s proceedings with an energetic eight-song set. The vocals of lead singer Tom Murphy and keyboardist Bec Plath complimented each other very well. They played a few songs off their debut album Polarity including Dance and Borderline. But being the first band of the night meant the audience (except for one very happy punter) didn’t really get into it which was a shame because as each song built so did their stage presence and it was clear that they were giving it their all.

Following the indie rocker trend of the night, Brisbane boys, * The Cairos* graced the stage next. They played an entertaining 45 minute set which included songs such as Seven Years, Batman and Temper. From the first song Whales to their final song of the set The Cairos seemed to almost play effortlessly with incredible drumming from BC Michaels and a captivating front man in Alistar Richardson. Towards the end of the set Richardson and guitarist Alfio Alivuzza appeared to start having a play fight on stage which involved them shoulder barging each other with their guitars and then knocking a mic stand over in the process. Throughout their set the crowd crept closer to the stage and started to get a bit livelier as the band catered to their curiosity.

By this point in the night the floor had filled up as people began taking up their positions for British India who came onstage at 10.45. As soon as the curtain revealed the stage, cheers and screams could be heard as the band were finally about to show everyone why they were here, which was to have a good time. They opened the set with a track off their new album Avalanche which was 90 Ways to Leave Your Lover and by the end of the second song You will Die, I Will Take Over, the band was already dripping with sweat and so was a large amount of the crowd.

Vocals from lead singer Declan Melia were intense and hitting the right notes all night and after talking about some of the more weird and random shows they have been playing recently he said it was, “Refreshing to be back playing in front of our kind of people.”

The band smashed through songs off all three albums Guillotine, Thieves and Avalanche: including Tie Up My Hands, Run The Red Light and Vanilla which was a turning point in the set and saw both the band and crowd reach a new level of excitement and energy. During This Dance Is Loaded a very persistent drunk crowd surfer kept things interesting while the band continued to sweat it out on stage.

Another highlight of the night was the rocked up cover of the Beastie Boys’ Fight for Your Right which showcased the bands’ diversity and talent. Their set was supposed to close with Black and White Radio but the crowd demanded more and got a 3 song encore, finishing with Russian Roulette and Outside 109 and left the crowd in a sweaty frenzy. - Faster Louder

Tonight’s support act The Cairos are a Brisbane band who are fairly well established in the local scene. With their polished blend of pop-rock gaining support slots for various artists over the last few years it was no surprise to see them announced to warm up the crowd. Playing songs off their latest EP as well as a couple of new tracks, The Cairos displayed their ability to translate recorded tracks into a live performance that maintained the interest of the crowd for the entire set. Having to improvise on the set list after being told to extend it, the group chose to play Batman, which proved to be the highlight of their show. Leaving the stage with a thank you to both the crowd and tonight’s headliner, The Cairos were a great support and are worth checking out at their own show in the near future.

The interval between sets was honestly one of the worst this reviewer has ever seen. With the stage already set for the main performance and the crowd buzzing due to both the support act and sheer anticipation, waiting almost an hour for the lights to dim was a real negative of the evening. When the interval playlist begins repeating itself, it’s time to get on with the show. Despite all being forgotten by the time the first footstep was taken on stage, it was still an annoyance that had the majority of the crowd checking their watches and updating their status.

Dressed in red jeans and trademark leather jacket, Julian Casablancas strode onstage and was greeted immediately by applause and screams of adoration that made the half full Tivoli seem at capacity. While both Ludlow St and River of Brakelights off last year’s Phrazes For The Young got the crowd moving, it was his “cover” of The Strokes Hard To Explain that sent them into a frenzy. Surrounded by his backing band, Casablancas seemed at times reserved and happy to hide behind his microphone, while at other times he was more than happy to move around the stage and take full advantage of the space on offer.

After thanking The Cairos for opening, Casablancas leapt straight into hit song 11th Dimension. The live rendition of the track was well received by the crowd as the blend of guitar, synth and beat provided by the energetic drummer combined for the highlight of the evening. As the band walked off, leaving only Casablancas and his keyboardist on stage, the opening notes of I’ll Try Anything Once echoed through the venue. The stripped back version of The Strokes You Only Live Once is amazing on record, and even more so live. The slow paced track had shivers running up the spines of attendees who had hoped for a career probing catalogue, as the emotion displayed in his performance of the b-side was nothing short of awesome.

Like pressing a button, Casablancas again turned up the energy as his band joined him for Left and Right in the Dark, during which he jumped into the pit much to the joy of awaiting fans. Crowd favourites Out Of The Blue and I Wish It Was Christmas Today went down a treat, with one punter finding his way on to the stage with arms raised in triumph before being quickly whisked away by the rent-a-cops. Finishing with another Strokes cover The Modern Age and a drawn out version of 4 Chords of the Apocalypse, complete with guitar solo and the mic stand being thrown across the stage, Julian Casablancas walked off with a thank you and wave.

Although the house lights were now on and the crew was beginning to clean up the stage, the crowd did not relent. Cheering and applause continued, getting louder with each passing moment. After close to ten minutes and at a point where it seemed like no amount of chanting could entice him back on stage, Casablancas returned with a smile spanning the width of his face. Genuinely impressed at the devotion of the crowd, he thanked them again before playing the only album track left unheard, Tourist.

One of last year’s best albums was tonight translated into one of this year’s best live performances. Both covers from his ‘other’ band’s catalogue and solo tracks that sounded even better live than on record kept the crowd captivated for over an hour, after which they still wanted more. On a day that produced a sell out for this year’s Splendour in the Grass festival, which The Strokes are headlining, Julian Casablancas gave punters proof that a break of a couple of years has refreshed him, and by all reports the rest of the band is in a similar state. Fingers crossed that Splendour organisers find some time for Casablancas to play a solo set up at Woodfordia or at other venues when he is back in the country because what was witnessed tonight was truly spectacular. - Faster Louder