City Calm Down
6th July 2018
Whammy! Bar, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review & Photography by Sarah Kidd.
Whether it was their breathtaking 2012 EP Movements or their debut album In A Restless House released just three years later; fans of City Calm Down have known for quite a while now just how good this band really is. So to have the chance to see an act that has performed multiple sold out tours and supported such musical royalty as Alt-J and CHVRCHES play in an intimate venue such as Whammy Bar was a dream come true for many a New Zealand fan tonight.
Warming up the crowd however on this bitter July evening are hometown five piece Tablefox who earlier this year supported Scottish legends Big Country. Dressed a little more casually this time around, Tablefox strategically arranged themselves around the stage and with little fanfare kicked straight into the first track of their set ‘Something Better’, vocalist Clinton Bell immediately gaining the attention of those in the room with his visually appealing single drum sequence. Whether it was due to the more low key venue or just the general mood of the night itself, but Tablefox were more laid back in their deliverance which gave many of their tracks – most of which are born from Clint’s life experiences – a more tangible taste to them. This especially rang true with their second track of the evening ‘You And I Will Find A Way’ with its sweet ‘Every Little Thing Gonna Be All Right’ Bob Marley intro. Their cover of the classic David Bowie hit ‘Heroes’ went down a treat with the punters, again the venue seemingly drawing out of them a rockier version of the anthem. But highlight of the set had to be the ballad ‘Cigarette Glow’ which originally featured on their 2015 debut album Objects but made a reappearance on their sophomore record You And I Will Find A Way. Lead guitarist Matt Carson’s delicate finger work melds beautifully with Bell’s vocals that soar towards the heavens before falling back to earth in the form of a heartbreaking falsetto. Finishing on a high note with the more punchy ‘Hold Fire’ which features a cheeky little nod to New Zealand legends Th’ Dudes and Tablefox certainly left their calling card. With an upcoming support slot for English indie rock band The Charlatans in August to look forward to, Tablefox are certainly coming in hot.
As City Calm Down took to the stage it was evident that they had brought a couple of friends along for the ride, the four piece expanding to six, which certainly made for a more snug fit. Dressed in their usual black attire, collectively the band immediately began to ooze an almost brooding aura into the air; there it hung almost as if waiting for something. City Calm Down have often been likened to bands such as New Order and Joy Divison; and there is no denying that with their 80’s tints and synth-soaked tracks the correlations can be made. But yet they are not a ‘throwback’ band either, intertwined throughout their sound are influences such as The Editors and White Lies and of course the rather obvious Alt-J, yet City Calm Down still manage to have a sound that is uniquely theirs; and it is one that works well for them as can be seen by their every growing fan base.
At the forefront lead vocalist Jack Bourkes; his lithe figure casting long shadows on the wall as he grasps the microphone with two hands the words to their opening track ‘Distraction/Losing Sleep’ from their recently released album Echoes In Blue cascading from his lips. On record Bourkes vocals are outstanding; live they are a completely different beast. Forlorn and yet somehow simultaneously uplifting, they draw you in, surrounding you with tales of discovering truths, finding one’s place and hurting the one’s you hold dear. His movements are often feverish as he shifts about what little space is afforded to him tonight, his locks of hair swinging about his face. To his right Sam Mullaley governs the keys and synths, churning out tantalizing layers of sound that vibrate and resonate with the ever pressing fans, which within a few short songs stand almost toe to toe with the band, taking full advantage of the intimate stage setting. Hidden at the back Lee Armstrong pounds out intricate patterns that are at times hypnotizing to watch, his drumsticks creating fans of light through the speed with which they move.
While tracks such as ‘Blood’ with its sumptuous vocals and ambient soundscapes that break loose like whirling winter winds and the more perpetually balanced ‘If There’s A Light On’ enthralled the crowd, highlight of the night had to be ‘Joan, I’m Disappearing’ from Echoes In Blue. Agreed by many a reviewer and critic to be their best track to date, tonight it completely filled the room with its presence, fans tipping their heads back to look up into the face of Bourke as he delivered the song with unbridled passion and grace. The addition of the guitar and saxophone this evening was inspired – while making for a tight fit on stage it rounded out their sound and added pleasing nuances that coloured the tracks.
While the set had started out with very little crowd interaction, the boys relaxed a little more towards the end; Mullaley rarking the crowd up with his references to the New Zealand soccer team. Finishing on ‘In This Modern Land’ City Calm Down thanked all those in attendance with a promise to be back; an enthusiastically demanded encore seeing them return a little sooner than they probably intended with their previous remark. After a quick deliberation followed by a little tuning and the Melbourne based band took the audience back to the beginning with ‘Pleasure and Consequence’ from their aforementioned 2012 EP; long term fans embracing the track with open arms.
City Calm Down; expect big things.
City Calm Down:
Tablefox:
Were you there at Whammy! Bar for this awesome alternative indie gig? Or have you seen City Calm Down perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
City Calm Down Setlist:
- Distraction / Losing Sleep
- Blood
- Border On Control
- Decision Fatigue
- If There’s A Light On
- Son
- Pride
- Falling
- Joan, I’m Disappearing
- Kingdom
- Rabbit Run
- Your Fix
- In This Modern Land
- Pleasure And Consequence [encore]
Tablefox Setlist:
- Something Better
- You And I Will Find A Way
- Right Or Wrong
- Heroes
- Cigarette Glow
- Nothing Ever Changes
- Beautiful Morning
- Don’t Look Now
- Hold Fire
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