Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Saturday September 7, 2013 :
Dead Letter Circus continues to grow from strength to strength as they mature into one of Australia’s truly heavyweight alt-rock bands. Seeds of ominous potential were established with their excellent debut album, This is the Warning, before they returned with their highly anticipated sophomore effort, The Catalyst Fire, last month. Condensing their progressive rock songs into compact timeframes, whilst upholding the melodic and accessible edge of their song-writing, is an impressive feat that they continue to hone. And although the hooks on The Catalyst Fire lack the immediacy of the debut, the band has clearly matured as song-writers and musicians, catapulting their music to a heightened level of complexity and depth. And the payoff becomes all the more rewarding as the layers are peeled back and the subtleties of their latest album reveal themselves.
Tonight was all about Dead Letter Circus bringing their confident musical chops and new material into the live setting, treating their growing fanbase to a typically strong performance at a packed and sweaty Cambridge Hotel.
Some seriously frustrating public transport issues (which continued after the show) meant that I missed opening act Sleep Parade, but I did get to catch the rather bombastic indie-rock of Closure in Moscow. They warmed up the crowd with a punchy set, and although much of it wasn’t up my alley, the rock star theatrics of the band and flamboyancy of their frontman at the very least provided an entertaining prelude, especially the glittering glam rock that highlighted their sound.
Dead Letter Circus hit the stage with little fanfare as they powered through a tight rendition of ‘The Cure’ from The Catalyst Fire. Propelled by the impeccably tight, jittery rhythms of drummer Luke Williams, the band is a tight force live, while Kim Benzie’s soaring vocals sound nearly as crisp and note perfect as in the studio. The set-list was evenly spread across their two albums, with a couple of well-received older tunes slotted in (‘Lines’ and ‘The Mile’). Although songs off the debut garnered particularly strong reactions, the new material was warmly received and played with great power and precision. First single ‘Lodestar’, and ‘The Veil’ were both highlights played off the new album, the former in particular has an addictive hook that worms its way through the sub-conscious and lodges in the brain.
Elsewhere, the band whipped the crowd into frenzy mode with killer renditions of several of their catchiest songs, with ‘Here We Divide’, ‘The Space on the Wall’, and the huge hooks of ‘One Step’ obvious standouts. Carrying the catchiness of the debut with the more expansive prog-rock flavours of The Catalyst Fire, ‘Wake Up’ fits snugly between the two albums and was one of the highlights of the set. They finished up a generous, polished set with ‘Next in line’ completing a three song encore, with both the band and fans clearly appreciative of how the show went down.
Whether in the studio or on the road, Dead Letter Circus are a polished unit with an admirable work ethic that continues to pay dividends. Tonight they delivered a neat balance of their material, nailing the new songs with ease and displaying the chemistry and instrumental prowess that has firmly established the band as a powerhouse live force and one of Australia’s premier bands.
Reviewer: Luke Saunders
Photographer: Pearl Davies
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXFkOuQx4f0