Mildlife @ The Malthouse
Throughout the whole lockdown period most of us who engage with live music often wondered what the gig going will entail in a post isolation world. With live music being a huge part of the city's identity, how will venues and punters alike respond to these new standard precautions. It has been a point of both curiosity and wonderment as we are sure a lot of us spent many a moment in lockdown looking out a window and imagining the thrill of a live musical performance again.
Over the past month Couchdog has finally been able to experience one of the things we love most again. Attending live shows. Not only was the in-person experience of music sorely missed but the connection you make with those around you. It is how Couchdog started in the first place. Sharing these experiences and communicating with a crowd around you is something that inspires us and is something we also want to bring to the city of Melbourne/Naarm.
So how was our time back at gigs? Our first voyage back into a world we love so much. To put it bluntly it was incredible. Not only the live performances from the acts that we saw (which we will get into) but the care and effort put in by those who ran these events. Both gigs that will be discussed further into this piece had to be carefully orchestrated and planned in cooperation with the COVID laws that were deemed necessary to keep all attendees safe. Just reading that previous sentence automatically puts an image into your head of a very restrictive and watered-down atmosphere, but that couldn’t be further from the end result. The organisers managed to successfully balance the COVID laws with arrangements that made the experience still feel intimate and fulfilling.
Mildlife at the Malthouse.
The first major set of performances that were seemingly kicking off the city's venture back into live music was Penny Drops Malthouse Open Stage (or MOS) concert series. Set over 10 nights in a brand-new outdoor amphitheatre built at the Malthouse theatre, this concert series marked a new beginning to the live music experience. The artist in particular that Couchdog caught live on a boiling hot Sunday Afternoon (January 24th) was the one and only Mildlife. One of our personal favourite acts, having the Funk, Jazz, Soul, Psychedelic gurus act as almost like an opening ceremony to our favourite past time of seeing live music was a huge treat. Off the back of their incredible new album Automatic the quartet played a 90-minute set under the blistering sun with an incredible amount of precision and enthusiasm. The bands offering of genre bending tracks took the heat out of the equation in terms of enjoyment and totally entranced the crowd.
As Mildlife brought their innovative sound to the gorgeous setting at The Malthouse we were also treated to a personal greeting card on every table from the band, an aspect that really added to the experience of getting back in to going out, and being a big part of something based on a common love. We felt a shared feeling of excitement for the things we know and love beginning again, and it was awesome.
The fact that everybody had to be seated was something that had us a bit worried in terms of being able to fully appreciate the gig, as we felt it would be impossible not to dance a long to Mildlife. While standing would have been preferred it is obviously not in line with the current requirements and the seating arrangements proved to not only offer a good view, but we’re also far less restricting than anticipated. This was a new, and truly enjoyable experience for us, Sitting back sipping on a Coopers while tapping your leg to the grooves of Mildlife really was an amazing live experience in every aspect. We hope to see Mildlife again shortly and can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us.
Close counters & The Murlocs at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
Close counters.
With things looking brighter every day for the Melbourne/Naarm music scene, (for the meantime) we delved into another seated performance of similar proportions. Heading to the iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl to see two incredible acts close to our hearts & the roots of our hometown. Much like the Malthouse, the Bowl was hosting a series of weekly shows titled The Happy Mondays. Each show curated by the cities most loved venues, offering up a dual act bill with a diverse mix of genres. This particular Monday night saw The Gasometer and The CURTIN blessing us of the incredible line up of Close Counters! & The Murlocs.
Close Counters were the opener, who brought to the stage an incredibly energetic display. Their mix of Electronic Dance and Jazz/Funk baptised the evening with an urge to boogie. With fronting members Finn Reeves & Allan McConnell performing and providing a real insight to the sound and dynamic they are creating with CC. The highly infectious set saw a few guests take the stage with the duo. On the drums was the legend Lucky Pereira and they were also joined by none other than the amazing Allysha Joy (a huge inspiration and favourite of the Couchdog Collective). Together they gave us a preview of their now released new track Speak in Truth, an incredible cover of Madison Avenues Don't Call Me Baby and a differing take on their track BESPOKE
Close Counters are an act that we have been hanging out to see for a while now and being out in the open air dancing (albeit in our small pods) made the wait for live music immediately worth it. The addition of live instrumentation (drums and bass) with their synth grooves added that extra layer of funk, another texture that demanded the attention and movement from the audience. The additions of their live set didn't stop at the sonic level though. An integration of visual art and movement were also prevalent during the performance. The screens side of stage had layers of visual flare such as animation and filters that covered the band that were formatted to be perfectly in sync with their music. Another special guest was a friend of Couchdog the amazing MaggZ (click on her name to check out her insta!), whose dance and movement on stage made the experience of seeing CC even more multi faceted. Couchdog's love and support of the convergence of varying art forms really made us appreciate that Close Counters the extra mile to showcase an array of different areas of expression through their music.
The Murlocs.
The Murlocs @ Sidney Myer Music Bowl
To be honest after Close Counters finished their set it seemed a bit off to be awaiting a band like The Murlocs. Even though we were confined to our own pods (due to COVID Laws) it really felt like we were transported to a doof. Making such a stark switch in genres felt like it may not be compatible. However we aren't too proud to admit when we are wrong and damn we were so so wrong. The Murlocs highlighted the beauty of a mixed genre bill. Following up an electronic act with a really authentic take on Australian Rock is a musical experience you don't get too often. The crowd sang along to every word and despite the crowd being split up in pods of 6 an intimate connection was felt with every person. We all bared witness to a display of flawless musicianship. After an incredible finale of the track Rollin’ On we all went away back home with a feeling of unrelenting optimism. Gigs are back and while they may not be exactly what we are used to they are as still good as ever.
(PS more mix billed shows please).