They are Spies

There was nothing caged about the local rock action on this chilly, winter Thursday night; They Are Spies called on some mates to help shake the shit out of The Zoo and celebrate the launch of their debut EP When Life Gives You Lemons.

Feed have only been gigging for about 6 months and although their stage presence at times reflected that, their sound certainly didn’t! Soaring and melancholic morphed into growling and evil then back again through the vocal pipes of front man Ezra La Vin. Brothers-in-axe, Michael and Josh Luck, kept the contrasts coming as clean licks and tight chunky chops were traded between gold Les Paul and black SG. Penultimate track Immune starts with an unconvincing but potential-loaded vocal-only bit, before drummer Dave Fox brings the beat back. Complete with running lines on *James Visentin*’s bass, this song becomes the stand-out. Closing out with the hard-hitting Terra Nallius, the boys from Feed had done a commendable job.

Hitting the stage running, Beckon chunk-a-chunked into life. With phat guitaring provided by Dan and Shawry, they were certainly making some noise. Lead singer and lime-light hog Lewis, sporting a pink/red wig provided majority of the entertainment visually, but never quite hit the mark vocally. Hurting and Burning was a highlight, but by far the best offering from Beckon was their big hitter Hide. Skinsman Skitza and Bassist Casey were the rhythmic rocks holding the whole show together, and for a band that had so much presence and talked it up without saying a word, they seemed to stumble slightly when it came to walking the walk.

Before there was any music played They Are Spies were causing impressed murmurs among the crowd. What looked to be a giant xylophone and a heap of other percussion instruments were being set up alongside the more traditional rock instruments.

The first sounds of life came from the darkness. As the lights came up each member was revealed to be playing a different drum (of sorts). Sounding like a tribal ceremony, the boys were finding their rhythm easily. The drumming exhibition lead to cracker opening tracks Bound To It and the stop-start funk of Feeling The Music ; and they were. Christian and Rick O’Shea swung into gear. The jazzy intro to Garden Song soon burst into the catchy killer it is. *Jezuz*’ vocals are a perfect match for the type of funked up rock They Were Spies make, mixing heart-felt melodies with intense controlled peaks. Along with a pulsing drum-beats solo, three boys delivered an interval of sorts with an a capella, barbershop tres-tet. They were certainly here to put on a show and the break was the perfect lightener to contrast the anti that was about to be upped!

Returning from the skit with renewed vigour, All You rained down with almost tangible emotion. Horns now!? How had I never heard of these guys before? Potential hit after potential hit ensued. Until the clincher slapped the thronging crowd fair in the face; in a world where people get what’s coming to them Dad Is Green will find it’s way to the airwaves. Closing with Black Cheezle, They Are Spies essentially rocked. But far more than that, they put on a musical and creative display that belies they’re relatively unknown status. Check them out if you get the chance. Or get your mittens on their new EP When Life Gives You Lemons. You won’t be disappointed. - FasterLouder.com.au

My expectations were very high as I walked up the stairs of the Zoo on Thursday 18th June for the ‘They are Spies’ CD Launch Show. The event had been surrounded by hype since its announcement and I definitely was not in the mood to be disappointed.

First to take the stage was Brisbane based progressive hard rock band ‘Feed’. After the initial warm up period, the band hit full pelt at about a third of the way through their set. Their hypnotic metal influenced breakdowns had the slowly growing audience nodding along in unison. Their lead vocalist was particularly impressive managing to progress from rock screams, to melodic singing and even to a Muse-like falsetto in a matter of seconds.

Next to take the stage was melodic rock band ‘Beckon’. This set would’ve been extremely enjoyable if I could’ve kept my eyes closed throughout it. The rhythm section was tight and the songs were enjoyable to listen to but one thing stood in the way, as hard as I tried I couldn’t get past the bright ‘Ronald McDonald’ red hair and somewhat forced ‘charisma’ of the lead singer. His stage presence provoked the feeling of second hand embarrassment that you get while watching comedy movies. They did however manage to get some of the crowd moving – kudos to them for that.

As the headliners ‘They are Spies’ took the stage I had no idea that what I was about to witness would be one of the most innovative sets put on by a local band in a while. They started off by setting a groove with a percussion piece before breaking into their first song. Playing a high energy set full of songs off of their new EP ‘When Life Gives You Lemons’ they had the audience at The Zoo smiling and dancing along the whole time. Highlights of the night included a barbershop trio performance and a choir-like party whistle piece carried out by audience members. The band also showed a softer side with lead singer Jezus leaving the stage during one of the songs to serenade his wife – definitely set many hearts a flutter at the venue. I can’t truly put into words how enjoyable the ‘They are Spies’ set was, all I know is that for hours afterwards I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face knowing that there is still a band in Brisbane that is willing to push the boundaries of live performance and try new things. Do yourself a favour and check them out. - Press Record Magazine