Entrance Leagues Club
Thursday May 30, 2013 :
With their profile steadily rising following last year’s breakout debut album and extensive touring schedule, catching The Rubens at a humble venue such as The Entrance Leagues Club is set to become a rare experience in the not so distant future. And props for the band putting together such an extensive National tour, which aside from the major cities, has included a string of regional dates such as Bunbury, Armidale, Toowoomba and tonight’s Central Coast performance. I didn’t catch opening support act Will and the Indians, but The Guppies were the next band on the bill, warming up the crowd with a punchy, energetic set of their vaguely grungy, pop-punk anthems.
Tonight’s young-ish crowd featured a strong female presence amongst a demographic dominated by 18-25 year olds eager to bask in the soulful tones of the band’s accessible brand of blues-rock. And by the time The Rubens took to the stage later in the evening, the crowd had built nicely, swarming in from the main club area and the well-populated outdoor smoking space. With tonight’s show being the second last of their extensive tour, it’s clear to see that their time on the road has honed the band into a smoothly confident live entity with a relaxed yet professional demeanour, belying their young age.
Equipped with a vibrant, punchy sound, the small venue presented a great opportunity to see the band up close and personal, playing a set that was obviously dominated by their only recorded release – last year’s accomplished self-titled debut. Yet the band spiced up the hour long set with their cover of ‘The Seed’ by The Roots as well as introducing a new song, ‘Cut Me Loose’. The band ploughed through the set with great enthusiasm and energy, adding some welcome heft to the songs in their live form. There was a great sense of chemistry between the band and they were clearly in their element and enjoying every moment as they basked in the warm reception of the small but enthusiastic crowd.
Frontman Sam Margin (one of three brothers in the band) sounded great live, especially when he enamoured his smooth vocals with a rougher blues edge. He was clearly appreciative of the crowd and his in-between song banter was relaxed and fairly humble. The soulful lament of ‘Elvis’, the smouldering, though slightly repetitive ‘I’ll Surely Die’, and bona-fide hits ‘Lay it Down’ and the superb ‘Don’t Ever Want To Be Found’ were some of the highlights during a very solid set. The immature lyricism of ‘The Best We Got’ highlights an area the band can improve on, but it didn’t dampen the song’s soulful groove too much.
Margin’s misleading intro to new song ‘Cut Me Loose’ had me briefly expecting a dramatic style shift from the band, but instead it sounded like a steady continuation of their current sound. The anthem’s strong dynamics and hooky chorus is destined to become a future hit for the band. A short bout of crowd surfing as well as bringing a member of the audience up for some tambourine work, displayed the band’s knack for showmanship. Following a short break, The Rubens returned for a two song encore, as the irresistible hook and groove of ‘My Gun’ capped off a short but memorable set in fine style.
Still so young, once they tighten up their song-writing and get some hard knocks and valuable life experience under their belts, The Rubens have the potential to create something truly special. As it stands they are already destined for stardom, and their smooth and accessible sound, coupled with a gift for song-craft, looks set to hold the band in good stead for a long and successful career. Their proven ability of putting it all together in a live setting completes a very marketable package.
Reviewer: Luke Saunders
Photographer: Stephanie de Vries
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