On a cold night in 2007, a bunch of hip Sydney music fans lined up outside the Metro Theatre to see a double headline show by local indie royalty – the Ivy League-signed Dappled Cities and Red Riders.
Ten years on and that same crowd was back, only this time the sticky floors of the Metro had been traded in for the wide seats of Angel Place, the leather jackets for shirts and sweaters, and the cigarettes for cute but restless children.
“This is fucking weird for us,” remarked Red Riders frontman Alex Grigg. And for a bunch of old rockers playing to a seated audience, it was. Despite the fact they’d been inactive for more than five years – and allegedly hadn’t even rehearsed before this show – Red Riders were exceptionally tight. In a hark back to the glory days of the mid-noughties, they were joined for several songs by Brad Heald of The Vines on guitar.
The set finished up with a trio of oldies – ‘Slide In Next To Me’, ‘My Love Is Stronger Than Your Love’ and ‘Ordinary’ – but it was a shame to hear that Red Riders won’t be returning to the live arena again.
Dappled Cities took the stage in front of a silent but buzzing audience in the darkened room. While apparently the all-seated venue was an accident (Tim Derricourt explained they didn’t realise when they booked it), City Recital Hall was the perfect place for this visually appealing Vivid show.
The lighting, in particular, was amazing, with five floor-to-ceiling light panels set up to match the five white stripes of the album artwork for ||||| (Five). There were also projections of old band footage, as well as art from underground Californian artist Paul Juno.
The visuals complemented Dave Rennick’s powerful falsetto and the band’s dreamy sound wonderfully. Little May’s Mark Harding (also a very talented solo artist) joined on keys for the whole set, with Collarbones’ Marcus Whale (sax) and Belles Will Ring’s Lauren Crew (vox) joining in for parts too.
Dappled Cities have always attracted a highly dedicated audience, and this occasion was no different. Cries of “we love you!” echoed through the room at several points between songs, and the announcement of Alex Moore’s departure from the band just before the encore was enough to bring chunks of the audience to its feet for the first time.
This was the first real taste of Dappled Cities’ groovy, late-’70s-vibing new album, and the material matched well with the band’s older tunes, particularly those from the classic Granddance.
It’s been 20 years since Dappled Cities Fly formed in Sydney’s Northern Suburbs, and the best part of a decade since the glory days of Sydney’s indie rock scene. But this enduring band and its enthusiastic audience – complete with full-time jobs, kids and concerts that end at 10pm – is far from dead. It’s just middle-aged.
Photos: Ashley Mar
Dappled Cities played City Recital Hall on Sunday June 4. Their new album ||||| is on sale now.
