In arguably one of the most highly anticipated tours by an Australian act in over a decade, The Avalanches finally returned to Adelaide on the back of their second ever release ‘Wildflower’. However, things haven’t been smooth sailing with members dropping off over the years from Dexter to Darren Seltmann and pivotal member Robbie Chater dropping out for health reasons, just prior to the tour. Either way, the live band performed spectacularly and the live show at Thebarton Theatre was definitely worth the wait.
It must be said that Adelaide’s best rock act Bad//Dreems were a strange opening act for the group. While they always put on a great show, punters could be confused as to why these raucous pub rockers were opening for an eclectic electronic artist. Drummer Miles Wilson revealed after the show, Tony DiBlasi was a fan of the group and loved old school punk.
Nevertheless the live show was, as expected, a fantastic extravaganza (even if DiBlasi was the only original member performing on the night). The mash-up of visuals included everything from Silent Bob, to Pulp Fiction, and a whole litany of filmic sources and animations. They really brought the show to life, providing the audience with plenty of visual stimuli. The lighting was also diverse and dynamic enough to keep punters interested.
Eliza Wolfgramm performed solidly if not spectacularly on lead vocals; guest rapper Spank Rock confidently sauntered around the stage; Oscar Key Sung added smooth, if not always coherent vocals and Jonti filled in ably for Robbie Chater on guitar, with great funk strumming.
The joyful song, “Because I’m Me”, from Wildflower sounds like it left of from “Since I Left You” and really brought a euphoric element to the live show. By comparison Frankie Sinatra appears to divide a lot of people with the potentially “annoying” verse vocals. Their biggest hit, “Frontier Psychiatrist”, predictably went off! But it was “Electricity” that really blew the crowd away. With nostalgic remnants of early Disney musicals, the emotional pull of “Since I Left You” and the really rich live sounds really brought the show home.
The Avalanches gig was a wonderful experience, but there was something surreal about only have one of the original members on stage. The ambivalence of the crowd, however, seemed to demonstrate that as long as there’s live music and visuals, the finer details can tend to go unnoticed.
Overall the show was a visual and aural rich text and definitely worth checking out if you get a chance.
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