Midlake amaze punters with their humble talent

Band: Midlake with support from Big Scary
Venue: Prince Of Wales
Date: 2nd August 2010
Reviewed By: Espylyn

Big Scary are an interesting yet appropriate support for Midlake and it’s always nice to see Melbourne bands as supports for internationalist acts. A duet combining of Tom who sings and plays guitar and keys and Jo who plays drums, guitar, shaker and sings and together they perform folk garage rock tunes. Low melodics initially circulate the room tonight and entice all the punters slowly until Tom and Jo changes instruments toward the end of their set and the music gains momentum and heightens our senses with bellowing rock and classy keys combined with drum beats.

Midlake are a band that I find hard to review as you really need to see them to take it their sound properly, as their music reflects their albums and they actually sound better live having mastered a format which suits them.
Midlake build up their initial presence with some rock instrumental action before delving into the tune Winter Dies (from the latest album The Courage of Others) - Tim Smith’s (songwriter) vocals are amazing live and capture the music first class.
Midlake are a seven piece band from Texas and with five guitars on stage at any given time and triple the flutes so it’s a layered and textured sound that works. A green shimmery drum kit almost looks out of sorts in amongst the hippy style surrounds that makes me feel I’m living in the 1970’s.
Its these five guitars that pelt out the layers of music as the band head into Children Of The Grounds, a hearty song with majestic awareness and then they show off the three flutes for Young Bride which is off their album titled The Trials of Van Occupanther and following is another tune from the same album aptly titled Van Occupanther, the punters yelp with excitement here! The Courage Of Others unleashes a big instrumental piece with Max Townsley paving the path on guitar and McKenzie Smith pumping away on drums.

Call Of Nature, Roscoe and Fortune all take us into other worlds whilst Head Home begins with more flutes and shakers and the boys take to stage like they belong there. Eric Pulido is the main man talking to the crowd throughout the night and enjoying the heckling he receives. The inevitable encore hits us but it’s not long before they’re back and finishing off the set with Bandits and Branches. Although they seem to have left their quieter tunes to the end, it’s their songs off The Courage of Others that I find the most stunning.
A dazzling set, one which is hard to review and capture just how fascinating they boys are to watch as well as trying to describe the screams and clapping the audience produces which almost deafens me but the boys smile at such an applause. Humble to the end.

as seen on www.thedwarf.com.au