Posts Tagged ‘ the gin club ’

The Gin Club @ The Zoo

January 27th, 2012

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The Gin Club. Shooting details: 1/200s, f/3.5, ISO1250.

Date: December 16, 2011
Venue: The Zoo, Brisbane
Acts:  The Gin Club, The Stress of Leisure

The Gin Club’s nominal frontman, Ben Salter, is trying to give up his between-song speaking duties. It’s the product, he says, of making the new live album that they’re about to release. “I realised after listening to all those live shows,” he says. “That I just talk too bloody much.”

However, his bandmates, talented though they are, just don’t have the same knack for effortless banter, and Salter’s attempts to coax each of them into saying something between tunes prove amusingly counter-productive.

Founding Swedish member but recent absentee Ola Karlsson makes an appearance for the first time in what seems an age and it’s a delight to once again hear his contributions in the live setting, especially the maudlin sea shanty Abigail. Brad Pickersgill also jumps on stage to take a turn with The Fall and Coming Round.

But for mine, the night’s goosebumps moment is when Bridget Lewis takes a turn at the front for the amusingly titled but deadly serious Milli Vanilli: a tribute (or warning) to living in flood-prone areas. It’s sparse solemnity, combined with the simplicity of Lewis’s rhyming couplets, is a stark and doleful reminder of the water-borne destruction that struck Brisbane not-so-long ago.

Fences falcon favourite toys
All these things have been destroyed

And the odd title?

You can blame it on the rain
That’s been tried before in vain
If you live beside the bank
Guess you’ve got yourselves to thank

The Gin Club @ The Old Museum

November 11th, 2011

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Date: December 13, 2008
Venue: The Old Museum, Brisbane
Acts: The Gin Club, Clinkerfield, The Aerial Maps, Texas Tea, Jacob S Harris

Built in 1891 to enable the city of Brisbane to host a world exposition, but named after it’s decades-long stint as the city’s museum, The Old Museum tonight plays host to The Gin Club’s Christmas bash. The Ginners have assembled no less than four support slots, and an early start means I miss Jacob S Harris, who performed so well at the Globe just last month.

In fact, I only just catch the start of the Texas Tea set. The local duo are in fine fettle, even if the rarified concert hall atmosphere lends an irritating touch of reverb to their mellow country tune. Many of the tunes are drawn from Junkship, which is all to the good. I’m a little disappointed that they skip the dirge-like Ferry Song, but a remarkable rendition of the Ronny Shannon-penned, Aretha Franklin-performed Never Loved A Man more than makes up for it. Read more

The Gin Club @ The Zoo

November 11th, 2011

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Date: March 21, 2009
Venue: The Zoo, Brisbane
Acts: The Gin Club, Hits, Danny Widdicombe

Floppy-haired local Danny Widdicombe croons “satisfy me” over and over like a mantra to the accompaniment of a drifting guitar arrangement. I’m in hearty agreement. His voice offers a rough-hewn country charm, but too often his finger-plucked tunes slide into frustrating aimlessness. Twanging excursions into the blues hold more verve, but the aggressive stomping of set-closer My Desire highlights the confusing patchwork of his offerings tonight.

“Hi. We’re Hits. Not that we have any.”

Hits are definitely the bastard child of tonight’s bill. Wedged between the alt-country stylings of The Gin Club and Danny Widdicombe, the punk-rock five-piece detonates with the percussive force of a psychotic child throwing the biggest tantrum you could imagine. Read more

The Gin Club @ Brisbane Powerhouse

May 11th, 2010

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Date: September 26, 2009
Venue: Brisbane Powerhouse
Acts: The Gin Club

It’s the day after local/Oz music festival Sounds of Spring and alt-country outfit The Gin Club are backing up their performance of the previous day with another at the Powerhouse. It probably seemed a great idea at the time of booking, but this afternoon they have a bunch of wicked hangovers in tow. The seriously worse-for-wear appearance seems an inevitable preface for a rough performance, but the band defy stereotyping by putting in a top-drawer effort.

In between numerous sly references to “Freeland” — apparently the (free!) source of this afternoon’s post-alcoholic pain — Ben Salter, Scott Regan, Adrian Stoyles and Conor Macdonald each take turns to lead the band through a delightful hit-list drawn from double-album Junk plus at least one new, unreleased tune: Chopping Wood. Tons of back-and-forth banter gives the feel of a casual warm-down gig, but there’s nothing lukewarm about the performance. Even now, at a remove of some six months, Salter’s choked-up intensity on despairing ballad You, Me & The Sea is still a thing of wonder to me.