THE KLONDIKE SITUATION
KILLER KLOWNS
THE REAL MEEK
Bat and Ball Hotel, Moore Park, Sydney
October 18, 2001
Leaning
against the Bat and Ball's bar, halfway through this show, and the comment
came. "Every gig doesn't have to be life-changing," opined Brother Justin
Walsh, longtime Divine Rites mailing list member and sometime Oz '80s underground
rock video archivist - and he had a point. The best live music should move
you, but it doesn't have to be a big production effort, in a concert barn
or with al the trimmings. Sometimes the simple things work best, which is
what happened tonight.
I won't outline any excuses for missing the fuzz-laden charms of opening
band The Real Meek, but Justin's description of them was "garage-autism"
is a wonderful compliment, by all accounts. The Real Meek (formerly just
The Meek) have a simplicity all their own and deserve to start headlining
soon.
The
Killer Klowns (pictured right) are another band in the same category that
pops up as a support all over the place and is grossly under-appreciated.
Re-built as a one-guitar four-piece, with all-action ex-Madroom singer Paul
O'Neill up front and the backline configured for speed, the Klowns did their
thing in an all-too-short, go-for-the-throat set. A few of guitarist Darren
Trew's older songs remain, but this is mostly new material in a Dead Boys-meet-Electric
Frankenstein vein. Plenty of Trew guitar and O'Neill histrionic stagecraft,
and an engine room that kicks 'em out with vigour, took the sting out of
the steep $4 beer price.
The small crowd that's gathered by the time the headliner rocks up seems
to ask the same question - will Klondike play his blues stuff or Detroit/punk
covers? Both, as it turns out. Klondike, of course, being Chris Masuak,
guitarist with Radio Birdman and lots of other bands (Hitmen, Screaming
Tribesmen, New Christs) since, and it's a slightly different line-up to
the one he fronted ("Klondike's Dogs of the Apocalypse") at the Lipstick
Killers reformation show. There's a new drummer in tow, Rex Hunt lookalike
Dave Alexander (of Sydney band The Flaming Barstools and NOT late of the
Stooges) and Klondike's Lawyer (introduced simply as "my lawyer" - should
that be Raoul Duke?) is on rhythm guitar. Red Porter is backing up on bass,
having filled that role in one of the Juke Savages line-ups.
"The
Party Starts Now" (a Manitoba's Wild Kingdom tune appropriated by the Hitmen,
back in the day) kicks off and we're grinning. "Burn My Eye" (attribution
not needed) and a slightly off-key "Who Will Save Rock and Roll?" (do you
need to ask it's a Dictators song?) completes a hat trick of icebreakers.
Do they have our attention? From there, it's a formidable mix of mostly
original songs in a blues-meets-Hendrix line. Stuff like "Voodoo Weatherman"
and "Ordinary Day" (yeah, I did a McPharlin and pinched a set list) aren't
a million miles from the Texan blues of the Juke Savages and merit recording,
if these guys ever get that interested in the prospect. There's a killer
pop song tossed in (was it called "Trust in No-One"?) that tests the vocal
range (and will reputedly leave Klondike searching for his voice for the
week to folow.) Frankie Valli, come on down...
Four
more bluesy tunes (including an obligatory car song "Big Finned Cruiser")
are punctuated by Lou Reed's "I Can't Stand It" and it feels fine, thanks
very much, before a citadel-storming take on Sonic Rendezvous Band's "Electrophonic
Tonic" knocks us crowd dead. Following on its heels is Birdman's well-worn
"Aloha Steve and Danno". Hoots all 'round for that one.
The band moves off stage to enthusiastic applause but bounces back for an
encore pretty quick smart, its frontman joking, "It doesn't take much to
get us". It's Lou Reed Night at the Bat and Ball with a primo, re-arranged
"Rock and Roll" chugs along, driven by a superb feel and re-written, insistent
guitar part, before the closer, Brother Wayne's "Dangerous Madness", winds
things down in raucous and righteous style.
This was a night of no pretensions with the band not really worrying about
fashion or trends. This was four guys having a good time. Special mention
to Dave Alexander on the traps - he was variously mistaken for someone's
dad (funnily enough, in his regular band he's joined by his sons), or a
slimmed-down descendent of Stewie Spears when he hopped behind the traps.
Silly jokes aside, he had a blinder. (The power was all in the feel.) Great
to see Klondike back on guitar, doing what he does best and stretching out.
Can we have some more soon?
- The Barman
1/2
LET'S GO BACK
TO THE BAR
LET'S
GO BACK TO THE LIVE GIGS PORTAL