Review by Matthew Mercieca
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Once upon a time there was a world where youtube, facebook and itunes didn’t exist. Grunge rock was king and Australian group The Clouds were a favourite, not only on late night Rage (ABC), but also with music lovers around the Country.
The Clouds, whom have most recently reformed and are touring the country after a very long hiatus, would this evening be gracing a very excited crowd at the Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide.
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This evening the Governor Hindmarsh had a nostalgic feel to it, with Nirvana playing through the P.A system it was almost as if going through a time warp.
To kick things off this evening were Adelaide indie punk trio Hawks of Alba, taking the stage with a whirlwind of energy, not letting the lack of a crowd deter them at all. After a song or two the rather quirky trio insisted the audience gather around, which was done without any hesitance. The group played through a strong setlist of their indie/punk style of music, always seeming charismatic and of course promoting their free e.p giveaway at the show. Hawks of Alba were nothing short of spectacular for an opening, this is one group that with time will flourish and hopefully gain a stronger national presence which they no doubt deserve. This is definitely one group to watch and if given the chance see in a live setting.
Next on the evening’s bill were Adelaide indie sweethearts, 20th Century Graduates. If you are a regular gig going punter in Adelaide you would no doubt be familiar with the groups funky sounding indie rock and of course the famous brass sections, which seem to give the band their distinctive sound. The group played through a strong repertoire of material, which included some old crowd favourites and some new material to mix things up. Without any doubt the music seemed to keep the crowd happy and dancing. Crowd favourite ‘Keeping up with the Jonses’ was as always was received with much energy from the crowd. 20th Century Graduates know exactly how to warm up a crowd and get a reaction, which is exactly what they did this evening.
As the night progressed the 100+ strong crowd gathered by the stage in anticipation of The Clouds to take their headlining spot.
Opening with ‘fear the moon’ the group was instantly at home on stage this was easy to see as by how relaxed and genuinely happy the group was. The band were not the only ones who seemed to be happy, the crowd gave a very strong reaction with many punters dancing or in true Adelaide fashion having a bit of a mosh.
The group was without a doubt well-rehearsed playing through each song with precise perfection, each song seeming to captivate anyone who might have been watching, each and every eye in the venue was glued on the group for the entirety of the performance. Most notably were the great crowd reactions to such favourites as ‘Hieronymus’ and ‘MaryAnne’, which when performed live seemed to get same power and energy as when were released and performed so many years ago.
Musically the group was solid, the fuzzy and distorted guitars giving the group their distinct sound which so many fans love. Guitarist David Easton never without a smile on his face, was able to re-create his unique guitar styling on stage perfectly and quite often could be caught be caught rocking out.
After a strong set, the group retired off stage, however as many regular gig going punters know this was usually time for an on-chore. The group returned on stage much to the delight of the crowd and performed a five song strong on-chore, which is something you do not normally witness in a live show.
If The Clouds have proved anything through the entirety of their reunion tour, it is that they have the same amount of passion and energy for live performances as they did when they first started and possibly even more so. There show left many punters talking and wanting more, and who could blame them and whilst the world might have changed the quality of the group’s music was something that has not.
Review by Matthew Mercieca
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