The Red Eyes

‘Let the good times roll, there’s room for everybody.’
The audience of the Corner Hotel on the 12th of March sang along with this mantra in the early stage of the night and they were not disappointed.
Supporting New Zealand reggae outfit The Black Seeds, Melbourne’s own The Red Eyes brought the sounds of the world to Richmond. Headed by El Witeri with proud Maori heritage, they are a support act capable of eclipsing a main act.
Launching the single I Get Wild/Wild Gravity from their highly anticipated second album, The Red Eyes kicked off the launch tour in style in front of a sold out crowd and completely blew us away.
The single, a cover from the Talking Heads album Speaking In Tongues, was done absolute justice by its dub reggae renovation. Having attended the gig with an enormous Talking Heads fan and both of us being incredibly impressed by their interpretation is a testament to the band. Lead singer El Witeri’s on stage dancing may also have been influenced by David Byrne as he strutted about stage with energy and charisma, backing this up with mighty vocals.
Whilst Witeri shone with stage presence, so too did the rest of the outfit. The talented group of musicians impressed with their tight set and ability to concentrate on individual sounds amongst the mass of noise surrounding them. Each member of the 7 piece was completely absorbed in their music, playing with conviction and making each member as appealing to watch as any other.
The Red Eyes are renowned for their dynamic and innovative live sets and their brilliant launch show at the Corner was no surprise. Dan Marsh on keys was experimenting with some seriously cool sounds such as an antenna whilst James Orr and Adrien Shaw blew a trumpet and a sax as well as controlling beats and samples.
Evan Tweedy on bass and King Charlie on guitar sang along with Witeri and looked to be having as much fun as the crowd whilst Julian Goyma kept the rhythm on drums.
The Corner Hotel proved the perfect venue for this dub reggae outfit as technicians assisted the band throughout the set creating delay effects on Witeri’s vocals and creating a light show for the crowd on the sell out night.

The patrons were treated to a sensational opening act, setting up the party mood for the rest of the night. Whether this crowd knew of the band already or if like me, it was their introductory show, it probably took only half a song before all punters were tapping feet, shaking hips, pumping fists and being swept up in the rhythm and fun that was Melbourne’s very own reggae superstars The Red Eyes.

Tess Armstrong - PBS FM

Melbourne’s The Red Eyes have just released their second long player and in the process have cemented their status as one of Australasia’s greatest exponents of dub reggae. Red Army is an hour of deep and solid grooves that easily matches the standard set by similar acts from New Zealand like Salmonella Dub, Black Seeds and Fat Freddy’s Drop.

Red Army runs the gamut of styles within the reggae genre. It gets righteous, hits the dancefloor, seduces and hypnotises with great variation across its fifteen tracks. Early on they even indulge in a cover version of Talking Heads’ I Get Wild / Wild Gravity and convincingly make it their own. The variety in sound doesn’t swing wildly in an attempt to cover all bases, there is still a cohesiveness that ensures a flow and sense of continuity to the album.

It is almost impossible to stop your head from nodding as the bass drops on Titokowaru’s War, a tale of war when the Maori were forced to defend their land against colonial attack. The theme of land control and cultural imperialism also appears on Road To Jericho, a seven minute slow jam that sways along, heavy lidded in mood but deep and prophetic in content. The hook line is impossibly catchy with frontman El Witeri quietly unleashing sweet and soaring melodies in a lovers rock style.

Witeri is the key to The Red Eyes not becoming pleasant background reggae music – BBQ Dub – as it is disparagingly referred to by some. He possesses the ability to sing in a sweet, warm tone and then change it up on a track like Remedy with its party vibe, chants and growling ragga-isms. Too often reggae singers ape the obvious influences of Marley, Tosh and Minnott and though Witeri doesn’t ignore those voices he has certainly developed his own style.

When the 7 piece band stretch themselves you hear instruments like guitar, horns, keyboards and appearing and disappearing, all the while with the mix locking the song in. Interludes like Martian Repairs and Friend Or Foe? highlight the electronic leanings of some in the band, something that works wonderfully when they expose their more adventurous side by utilising dub effects like reverb, delay and echo to create space and mood in the music.

Red Army packs a lot into an hour but there is very little filler. If taken in the right context and with a lack of regard for time then it is an absorbing journey. Theirs is the kind of music that sounds magnificent in headphones but as shown at recent shows it can also become a larger and more dynamic musical beast when the bass hits you in the chest and the riddims take out a mortgage on your legs. The Red Eyes have stretched themselves and captured their sound brilliantly on Red Army. A global audience is surely waiting. - Faster Louder