Scott & Charlene’s Wedding brought a slice of Aussie sunshine to a darkened room, Getintothis’ James Elson found a group who wore their imperfections on their sleeves.
Slacker fuzz pop feedback made its way towards Liverpool in the form of Scott & Charlene’s Wedding (S&CW).
It slipped under the Shipping Forecast’s door, bounced around the walls and slithered its way into our ears. It felt slightly disgusting but left us with a reluctant satisfaction.
If you sing out of tune and play with more treble than necessary, you might just hit upon the formula which S&CW are using to tour the world and get the blogs buzzing.
But first, ADHD melancholied his way through folk whimsy as the opening act.
Slow waves of reverberating acoustic sound seemed to nestle nicely in the Shipping Forecast’s basement; particularly apt music for the setting.
It was a slow start to the evening but the gentle pace was appreciated by early attendees.
Where We’re West staking claims in new frontiers at Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
Bringing the grunge to the party was Where We’re West.
Pearl Jam-esque guitars, powerful rhythms, tight bass and soaring vocals gave the group its musical punch.
A band this professional with such mature creativity should be given a higher place on the bill. If they persist, those places, and the recognition it deserves, will surely come.
Mean Jean had a solid if a tad uninspiring set with half an hour of vaguely indifferent indie-punk. Liverpool’s glut of talent can sometimes be diluted when it comes to guitar-based acts; there’s undoubtedly numerous acts that utilise the guitar but more variation in style could perhaps add to growing pool.
Scott & Charlene’s Wedding create another union at Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
By the time S&CW made it to the stage, it was actually hard to get a vantage point without something obstructing your view. Such is the price you pay for a venue as intimate as the Shipping Forecast. The band practically oozed onto the stage and dumped their brand of scrap wave onto us. We mean that in the best possible way.
It was elegantly unwieldy; beautiful in its own mess. Guitars dripped with a soggy chorus tone which seared through the room. Craig Dermody’s autobiographical lyrics about being an Australian in New York squalled and howled in a manner half Lou Reed and half Kevin Ayers.
The man is charismatic and transmitted his emotions to those watching well, even if over half of them probably didn’t have a clue what he was singing about.
Dermody has said that his favourite bands are those of his friends back in Melbourne, playing independently for little money. The DIY essence of their music is endearingly strong.
Let’s hope they keep doing it themselves and touring the world for a lot longer yet.
Pictures by Getintothis’ Andrew AB.
Further reading on Getintothis:
Getintothis on Where We’re West.
Getintothis reviews Mean Jean with Veronica Falls.
Dinosaur Pile-Up, Max Raptor, Tigercub: The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
Wolf Alice, The Shadow Theatre, Mohebbi: The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
The Wytches, Beach Skulls, Stevie Banks: Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
