The Fauves and Even - Adelaide, 17th August 2012
Words: Jo Taylor
It was another cold Friday night in Adelaide, and the crowd at the Governor Hindmarsh had congregated to see two great Australian bands that have been kicking around since the 90’s, but for the first time ever come together for the aptly titled Together at Last Tour. Showcasing respective new albums, both Even and The Fauves have always held a strong reputation for live shows, so there was little doubt that tonightwais sure to be yet another memorable night for the mostly 30-plus-something crowd.
To most people’s surprise, Even took stage first. The three piece from Melbourne have always had a dedicated following and though the room wasn’t quite filled to capacity, enthusiasm was running high. Singer/guitarist Ashley Naylor has charisma and is a natural frontman. Since their beginning in 1994, they have had a solid career spanning six studio albums, including their latest 2011 recording, In Another Time. Bassist Wally Kempton and drummer Matt Cotter were both smiles and the band typically were jovial throughout.
Starting the night off with Little Red Taxi and Stop and Go Man, both from their first album Less is More, their catchy rock tunes immediately captivated the crowd, making it easy to see why these guys have had such a long-standing career. Playing more recent tunes, the gorgeous Waiting for You, To The Lights and No Star showed they still have the strong song writing that drew fans in so many years ago.
A highlight was crowd favourite Coming Back to Earth as well as the delightful surprise of rocking out three David Bowie tunes which were aired as practice for an upcoming tribute show in Melbourne.
While playing the ever popular Black Umbrella - which never fails to get the audience singing along - a crowd member brought out his very own black umbrella, prompting Naylor to shower the umbrella in beer, much to the amusement of the audience. There’s never have a dull moment when Even are in the house!
Which Way to Run was followed by the latest single What You Wanna Do and the set was rounded out with the song that started it all, Don’t Wait. With such a short time slot, they did well to span their 18-year career, though the crowd was left still wanting more.
The Fauves took stage soon after to a warm reception. The four-piece from Melbourne have been around since 1988 and have released 11 albums. They returned to Adelaide in support of their most recent release, German Engines and 2011’s Japanese Engines.
The chugging rock tune Don’t Say When set the tone for their set, featuring the minimalist rock The Fauves are best known and loved for, whilst the darker Heart’s A Fist, complete with a really catchy hook, was received well. There was also the groove beat of True Love Waits which proved to be one of a number of standout moments crammed throughout the set.
Crowd favourite Don’t Get Death Threats Anymore had everyone moving on their feet and the satirical lyrics of 6 Minute Abs combined with the faster paced rhythm made for a great rock song.
Even though they definitely had their fair share of dedicated fans, there was something missing from The Fauves’ performance. They oozed arrogance and seemed to lack a real connection with the crowd. Lead singer Andrew Cox’s constant banter, whilst somewhat amusing, fell short of really grabbing the crowd’s attention and the set struggled to truly get on track.
This lack of connection was perhaps just the result of seeing the natural efforts of Even engaging the room effortlessly. Or maybe it was as simple as The Fauves just having an off night. Whatever the reason, the crowd really only hit their high when the band returned to the stage for an encore performance of hit singles Self Abuser and Dogs are the Best People.
Despite something lacking in The Fauves set, this was a good celebration of Australian music that has stood the test of time and a wonderful pairing of bands we’d like to see more of.
To most people’s surprise, Even took stage first. The three piece from Melbourne have always had a dedicated following and though the room wasn’t quite filled to capacity, enthusiasm was running high. Singer/guitarist Ashley Naylor has charisma and is a natural frontman. Since their beginning in 1994, they have had a solid career spanning six studio albums, including their latest 2011 recording, In Another Time. Bassist Wally Kempton and drummer Matt Cotter were both smiles and the band typically were jovial throughout.
Starting the night off with Little Red Taxi and Stop and Go Man, both from their first album Less is More, their catchy rock tunes immediately captivated the crowd, making it easy to see why these guys have had such a long-standing career. Playing more recent tunes, the gorgeous Waiting for You, To The Lights and No Star showed they still have the strong song writing that drew fans in so many years ago.
A highlight was crowd favourite Coming Back to Earth as well as the delightful surprise of rocking out three David Bowie tunes which were aired as practice for an upcoming tribute show in Melbourne.
While playing the ever popular Black Umbrella - which never fails to get the audience singing along - a crowd member brought out his very own black umbrella, prompting Naylor to shower the umbrella in beer, much to the amusement of the audience. There’s never have a dull moment when Even are in the house!
Which Way to Run was followed by the latest single What You Wanna Do and the set was rounded out with the song that started it all, Don’t Wait. With such a short time slot, they did well to span their 18-year career, though the crowd was left still wanting more.
The Fauves took stage soon after to a warm reception. The four-piece from Melbourne have been around since 1988 and have released 11 albums. They returned to Adelaide in support of their most recent release, German Engines and 2011’s Japanese Engines.
The chugging rock tune Don’t Say When set the tone for their set, featuring the minimalist rock The Fauves are best known and loved for, whilst the darker Heart’s A Fist, complete with a really catchy hook, was received well. There was also the groove beat of True Love Waits which proved to be one of a number of standout moments crammed throughout the set.
Crowd favourite Don’t Get Death Threats Anymore had everyone moving on their feet and the satirical lyrics of 6 Minute Abs combined with the faster paced rhythm made for a great rock song.
Even though they definitely had their fair share of dedicated fans, there was something missing from The Fauves’ performance. They oozed arrogance and seemed to lack a real connection with the crowd. Lead singer Andrew Cox’s constant banter, whilst somewhat amusing, fell short of really grabbing the crowd’s attention and the set struggled to truly get on track.
This lack of connection was perhaps just the result of seeing the natural efforts of Even engaging the room effortlessly. Or maybe it was as simple as The Fauves just having an off night. Whatever the reason, the crowd really only hit their high when the band returned to the stage for an encore performance of hit singles Self Abuser and Dogs are the Best People.
Despite something lacking in The Fauves set, this was a good celebration of Australian music that has stood the test of time and a wonderful pairing of bands we’d like to see more of.