Review by Scott Singh
Having been relatively quiet as of late, it was a refreshing encounter to see San Cisco perform at The Metro Theatre. With fans filling the venue during the early stages of the night, you could see that many have seen the band perform live before as groups were discussing their favourite tracks together and singling out that one song that will make their night.

Though the wait would be long to see the band, we were all lucky enough to have two talented support acts fill the void.

Sydney based artist Jessica Cerro took to the stage under her moniker Montaigne and was immediately met with screams of adoring fans, who were eagerly trying to get her attention. The sheer scale of Jessica’s vocal talented subdued any other element of her set. Not to say that the band were subpar to any degree but it was obvious to see where everyone’s gaze was fixated on.

‘I am not an end’ delves deep into the emotional offerings of Jessica and really came across her expressions as she sang. The crowd maintained a respectful silence during the number as Jessica delivered her heartfelt song. That really provided a definitive ending for the set.

Next it was time for Gunns to reinvigorate the crowd and prepare them for the main act. Though coming across as chilled rockers who maintained a withdrawn expression, their music was definitely no reflection of this. Taking notes of Perth’s now famous psychedelic rock, Gunns presented prolonged rifts that echoed throughout the venue and laced them with a strong overtone from the lead vocals.

The crowd ate up the opportunity to dance along at their own pace and from those looking on from the upper levels of the Metro. Segments of the crowd broke off into their own dance parties with Gunns as fuel to their fire.

Finally, San Cisco appeared before the crowd, ready to embrace the remainder of the night. With one album release under their name, it was no surprise that their set featured many familiar tunes. Yet it was due to this fact that the crowd was on point for every song that was placed.

During ‘Awkward’ the crowd was present for every single word and it was a new experience to see a song sung in its entirety by the audience. This added so much depth to the track and solidified the relationship the band shares with the crowd.

The dynamic showmanship displayed by the band, led a smooth performance that dipped into the next song just as soon as they finished the previous one. Such a move maintained the momentum of the night and avoided any stagnant breaks in the performance.

Having played off the buzz of their more upbeat numbers, ‘Run’ was the final chance the crowd had to expend the last remnants of their energy and give back just as much as they had receive from the band.

Having the night come to an end, it was disappointing to see many fans wanting more from the night. As if the time they’d spent with the band they came to see wasn’t enough, that though they’d heard their favourite tracks, more was somehow needed. Luckily we all can take solace in the fact that a new album is due in March with means the band will soon be on the road again.

Bands: San Cisco – www.facebook.com/sanciscomusic
Gunns – www.facebook.com/Gunnsmusic
Montaigne – www.facebook.com/montaignemusic
Venue: Metro Theatre, Sydney
Date: November 27, 2014