Live Reviews : Orsome Welles, Troldhaugen, Alithia, and Full Code @ The Workers Club, Melbourne 12/12/2014

This was my first time catching a gig at The Workers Club in Fitzroy. For a start, it’s got to be said, Fitzroy is such a nice area. Surrounded by cafes, the Melbourne Museum just down the road, and an overall nice atmosphere to walk down through on a Friday afternoon, it personally added to the appeal of this venue immediately. Tonight would see Orsome Welles release their much anticipated debut EP, ‘Erth News Bulletin’, and little did I know what a night I was in for!

Opening tonight were New Zealand-based experimental progressive rock act Full Code. This was my first time seeing these guys live, and the first thing that must be said is that despite the smallness of the ‘Band Room’ at Workers Club, Full Code seemed to make it feel so much more large than it really was. Through the wonderfully atmospheric opening that accompanied their set, their deliberately understated approach musically serve to heighten the use of idiosyncratic elements such as psychedelia, and, most interestingly, Drum ‘n’ Bass. It was cosy in the ‘Band Room’ with a rather humble showing at this point, but that didn’t detract from Full Code’s liveliness on stage. Channeling the likes of Tool, Full Code brought a feeling to their music of cosmic awareness and spatial indifference. It was music to be consumed by, rather than to bang along to. Frontman Steve Berry brought the ‘unusual’ factor to Full Code, also. He’d physically move about the stage, striking odd poses at some moments and dancing as if possessed at others. With the wonderful use of reverb on their instruments and vocals, Full Code certainly knew how to build ambiance. A surrealistic experience, Full Code were a great choice to kick off proceedings for the evening, though their very quiet and calm send-off left some – including myself – unaware at first they’d finished until Berry noted it softly.

Next up were Alithia. With an engrossing atmosphere to their performance, Alithia created the solemn union between instrument and symphonious overture. Once it kicked off though, bassist Tibor lost his shit. He started leaping about like a madman until it came to a standstill and suddenly the entire band was calm again. This was a trend that carried through most of Alithia’s set. The moments of soft, unassuming spatial insight where all at once met by a destructive force that held every member of the band in toe; dancing and running about the stage. That was something I remember noting down quite early on: is the fact every member of Alithia give one hundred percent. They all seemed as dedicated as the next and this aspect of their set allows for an even more engaging experience. The haunting keys and single notes in parts of their worked remarkably and allowed Alithia to reach out to the crowd. One of the most prominent aspects of Alithia’s set is how they utilised every member of the band in full. With a strong rhythm section backed up by an extra percussionist, it was almost impossible not to marvel at their performance. It was a captivating show and you could almost be forgiven at times for thinking it was one continuous song. Their music blended so well, and it was in the unexpected moments where percussionist Jeff put on a fluorescent hat and large glasses and started to rap that made it even better.

‘Erth News Bulletin’ out now

Rounding out the evenings openers were Troldhaugen. So I’ve seen these guys a couple times now and every time they do not disappoint. I can guarantee you right now if you find any band that sounds or acts remotely similar to Troldhaugen, I’ll personally give you a high-five. Because as it stands right now, I’ve yet to see anyone who looks or sounds even a little bit like these ever-maniacal lads from Wollongong. The best part about Troldhaugen for me is perhaps how quickly and easily frontman Reventusk can go from being just another happy-go-lucky regular guy on stage to what I’m sure it would look like if the Mad Hatter ever began his own metal band. There is no clear way to define Troldhaugen’s music, mainly because it breaks the mould at every turn and deliberately tries to remove itself from being tied down to any one classification. If you were to attempt it, I suppose you could use what I like to refer to as ‘Avant-Garde Carnival Folk’, but I realise how wanky that sounds. Utilising samples such as 2 Unlimited‘s “Get Ready for This”, Troldhaugen would then suddenly burst into their usual form of insanity. And it was in the moments where Reventusk would cry out “Party Time!” and everyone would start running and dancing about in circles that made this show brilliant. Also, Svarog’s creepy faces and how he moved about before coming to a complete stop were also brilliant! I couldn’t stop laughing or cheering the entire way through. Troldhaugen possess the wonderful knack to turn any performance of theirs into a real experience. Overly theatrical, there’s nothing quite like this band in music right now, and you should do yourself a favour and go see them live if you can. You won’t regret it!

Now it was time for the act everyone had been waiting for, Orsome Welles! Beginning with a great mock emergency news bulletin done in a 1950’s style, the narrator spoke about how all three opening acts tore down The Workers Club (the man didn’t lie!), before announcing ‘we are now crossing over to Orsome Welles for their report’ as it kicked into Orsome Welles’ set (probably one of the coolest intros to a set I’ve seen!). The house was packed by this point, and throughout Orsome Welles’ set, you could see the clear weight of emotion vocalist Michael Stowers and the others had. Speaking of ‘Erth News Bulletin, Stowers went on to say ,”This is our first ever release, our first EP. It’s been a long time coming”. You could see how special this moment was for Orsome Welles and it felt great for me to be a part of that. Orsome Welles were exceptional live. I couldn’t fault them for the entire time they were on stage. Stowers has such a commanding and charismatic presence about him and it is supported by an outstanding rhythm section. This is the first time I’ve seen these guys live since Orphaned Land earlier in this year, and that performance, as great as it was, doesn’t even compare to last night. They were phenomenal on stage and engaged with the crowd – offering thanks and more – regularly. Given this was the launch for their first ever release, Orsome Welles gave it their absolute all, and I can say truthfully, out of the host of amazing local bands I’ve seen this year, few impressed me as much as Orsome Welles did last night. A wonderful evening.

‘Erth News Bulletin’ EP Launch

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