Reviewed onWednesday February 10
It’s something quite peculiar, as Steve Kilbey might put it, that one of the loudest bands in Sydney also happens to moonlight as one of the city’s better-kept secrets. Those devoted few that are fully braced for impact have positioned themselves toward the front, while the curious onlookers keep their distance up the back. Wherever one stands – literally and figuratively, in this instance – Making play music that can very much be felt as much as it’s heard. The clattered, disjointed drums match up with the shriek of metallic guitar and steel-capped bass, all overseen by the band’s most recent full-time addition, vocalist/sound manipulator Ben Curio, who smash-cuts from keen observant to active participant in a matter of seconds, somehow adding even more power to their original power-trio format.
Collarbones and Black Vanilla frontman Marcus Whale also gets in on the action, guesting on ‘Amazon’ and ‘Highlife’ to great effect in a true worlds-colliding moment that showcases the talent that is bubbling under the collective conscience of Sydney music. Making might be a somewhat infrequent presence, but you’d best believe your ears will be ringing until the next time you see them. A near-perfect match for tonight’s headliners.
When Battles arrive onstage, they’re in a good place. That’s just not a reflection of their spirits going into the performance – it’s also a literal observation of what is their fourth Australian visit overall. The boutique niche of Laneway suits them better than the hustle-and-bustle of the Big Day Out ever did, while Manning Bar feels like the perfect size for them to capture both relative intimacy and the broader scope of their sound.
This is reflected in the performance itself, which has the audience simultaneously gobsmacked by the multi-tasking, looping and constantly shifting musicianship and in a throng of dancing once the songs either lock into their groove or build to their crescendo. The lion’s share of the setlist traces back to their most recent LP, La Di Da Di, yet Battles perform the songs as if they’ve being doing so for years. ‘Dot Com’ is a bold, explorative opener, while ‘Tyne Wear’ and ‘Summer Simmer’ blend perfectly into the fold. It’s the final one-two of the band’s shoe-shuffling robot-rock opus, ‘Atlas’, and new classic ‘The Yabba’ that seal the deal. We all have Battles in our lives – and we’re ever so grateful for that.
