Deep Sea Arcade w/ The Cairos & Woe and Flutter - Adelaide, 14th June 2012
Words: Rob Lyon
The choice for punters was to sit in front of the fire, watching re-runs of Big Bang Theory or venture out into another cold wintery Adelaide evening to catch some of Australia’s finest up and coming bands play at Jive. As it turned out a strong, near sell out crowd rolled up to see Deep Sea Arcade supported by Gold Coast indie rock outfit Woe & Flutter and Brisbanites The Cairos.
Each band seemed to attract their own loyal legion of followers, so collectively it made for a solid all round night of entertainment. The show was ultimately about Deep Sea Arcade and their debut album Outlands, but touring with two relatively young pups the pressure was on so as not to be shown up by the support acts
Deep Sea Arcade have had a rapid rise and with the continued support of Triple J, who have helped continue the momentum for this band, it’s with no doubt they’ll be stepping it up and playing bigger venues on future tours given that they seem to be “flavour of the month” right now.
Woe & Flutter opened proceedings playing a reasonable set. Their influences were a little too obvious and their songs sounded all too much the same, offering little variation between each one and more importantly offering nothing terribly memorable. Front man Dusty Anastassiou tried valiantly to win over the crowd and pull everything out of the trick bag; from some very average lyrics, to the punk rock vocal screams that get everyone’s attention, to throwing his guitar around to present some sort of image that they’re cool.
The Cairos were the pick of the bunch and no doubt these lads have a bright and promising future ahead of them. Their indie rock musings really did warm the stage giving punters a taste of the old and a preview from their new release, due soon. Front man Alistar Richardson dedicated Waiting On A Whim to Deep Sea Arcade saying they wish they were half as good as the main act, but seems like a contradiction of terms as The Cairos were soooo much better. With so many good songs in the armoury their debut album will be much anticipated. Shame was very popular getting the indie kids dancing and singing word for word. With the crowd excited pulling out a cover seemed a masterstroke with Bette Davis Eyes going down a treat.
Each band seemed to attract their own loyal legion of followers, so collectively it made for a solid all round night of entertainment. The show was ultimately about Deep Sea Arcade and their debut album Outlands, but touring with two relatively young pups the pressure was on so as not to be shown up by the support acts
Deep Sea Arcade have had a rapid rise and with the continued support of Triple J, who have helped continue the momentum for this band, it’s with no doubt they’ll be stepping it up and playing bigger venues on future tours given that they seem to be “flavour of the month” right now.
Woe & Flutter opened proceedings playing a reasonable set. Their influences were a little too obvious and their songs sounded all too much the same, offering little variation between each one and more importantly offering nothing terribly memorable. Front man Dusty Anastassiou tried valiantly to win over the crowd and pull everything out of the trick bag; from some very average lyrics, to the punk rock vocal screams that get everyone’s attention, to throwing his guitar around to present some sort of image that they’re cool.
The Cairos were the pick of the bunch and no doubt these lads have a bright and promising future ahead of them. Their indie rock musings really did warm the stage giving punters a taste of the old and a preview from their new release, due soon. Front man Alistar Richardson dedicated Waiting On A Whim to Deep Sea Arcade saying they wish they were half as good as the main act, but seems like a contradiction of terms as The Cairos were soooo much better. With so many good songs in the armoury their debut album will be much anticipated. Shame was very popular getting the indie kids dancing and singing word for word. With the crowd excited pulling out a cover seemed a masterstroke with Bette Davis Eyes going down a treat.
Preparation was soon underway for the main act, although with much stuffing around and feet dragging, many a punter was left unimpressed leading up to their eventual entrance to the stage. The indie kids love ‘em and The Deep Sea Arcade are part of this “next crop”, but it doesn’t take long for one to wonder if without the Triple J airplay, would they have the chops to get noticed?
Opening with Seen No Right it didn’t take long for the crowd to get in to it, as they tightly packed in on the floor. Lonely In Your Arms, If The Devil Won’t Take You and Girls showed the band in their element and proving that it’s not just about front man Nic Mckenzie, who, despite being the focal point, is perhaps a little too cocky for someone who has only been on the scene for five minutes.
Returning for an encore, it seemed an odd choice to go with Outlands, but it was well received and worked nonetheless. Deep Sea Arcade really should make the most of the opportunity while the sun shines because longevity, the industry in general, and the short attention span of the indie kids may be their undoing.
Opening with Seen No Right it didn’t take long for the crowd to get in to it, as they tightly packed in on the floor. Lonely In Your Arms, If The Devil Won’t Take You and Girls showed the band in their element and proving that it’s not just about front man Nic Mckenzie, who, despite being the focal point, is perhaps a little too cocky for someone who has only been on the scene for five minutes.
Returning for an encore, it seemed an odd choice to go with Outlands, but it was well received and worked nonetheless. Deep Sea Arcade really should make the most of the opportunity while the sun shines because longevity, the industry in general, and the short attention span of the indie kids may be their undoing.