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The Brag Review - Sydney 11/8/03"
Early on a cold Monday night one could be forgiven for
curling up with a nice hot cup of tea, so it was heartening to see the room
full up early for support band Faker. Starting slow, the performance
threatened
to be lackluster but they gained more enthusiasm for new song Sharks - an
erratic ode to paranoia - and soon had their mojo back. Apparently the sound
was pretty flat up the back but from where i was standing
from on the dance floor they sounded aright. Their songs are awesome and
it's rare you get to see a guy stand on his head during a bridge. If Faker
don't release something soon I will personally go round to their houses and
bash them.
However, everyone was here to see one of the most
talked about (and actually listened to) bands of the year. Interpol stalked
onto the stage in their trademark shirt-and-tie uniforms looking every bit
the 80s got/new wavers they are. Oozing detached , postmodern cool, they
proceeded to work tehir way through the album, give or take a song or two.
Which is really all they have; theyr've only recorded 17 tracks to
date. This must get a little boring after a year or more of touring, which
may explain why tonight thier detachment bordered on a lack of enthusiasm.
Crowd fave Spectator (from the 'I
bought the EP' brigade) and of course the wonderful PDA - a song which just
refuses to get tired - were definitely highlights, and even the Smiths-esque
Say Hello To the
Angels sounded good, thought Interpol's more downbeat number such as NYC and
the NEW seemed more in keeping with their mood. A faithful rendition of the
excellent Stella was so spacious as to be almost
moving (though it always reminds me of the Simpsons musical of A Streetcar
Named Desire...maybe that's just me)
Vocalist Paul Banks' aloof croon
was only briefly interrupted by a bemused pisstake of the two or three young
things in the front row (everyone else was busy doing the indie nod). A lack
on interaction was
certainly part of the act, though it started to grate around encore time, as
we wanted to be rewarded for our gaithful applause. I wonder what else I
expected , though, from a band that is all about alienation
and loss. Despite Daniel Kessler's occasional guitar antics Interpol never
really looked like they were enjoying themselves, though it was priceless
watching Carlos D. Bassplayer move about ( I am reluctant to
call it dancing) like a clockwork arachnid. That guy is weird.
It's unusual to hear a live band
sound just like their record, and a little disappointing: perhaps doing
things the wrong way round to go from studio to stage, and to Australian
audiences - with our uncharacteristic rock and roll work ethic - somehow
dishonest. So Interpol are probably not as good as they are cool But that is
still bloody good. -Jennifer
Mills. |
