Reviewed on Friday February 3
The gigs at which you truly lose yourself are few and far between, but Friday night at the Factory was one of those nights. Opening their Colourblind Tour, Hands Like Houses performed with nothing but passion and pride, enriching souls and uplifting hearts with a set full of relatable lyrics and mind-melting melodies.
There was a consistent and genuine feeling of gratitude from the band, and it was reflected in their music, energy and antics. From bassist Joel Tyrrell crowd-surfing on a surfboard as he played through ‘Motion Sickness’, to tech guy ‘Shoey’ being egged on to do a shoey (courtesy of the shower of shoes that were making their way onstage), this was a truly exciting night out.
From beneath a thick mass of strobe lights and smoke, the Canberra rockers practically shook the stage as they bounded on, playing current album Dissonants in its entirety. After opening with lead single ‘New Romantics’, frontman Trenton Woodley was profound in his appreciation for the audience. “We’ve been lucky enough to travel all over the world,” he said, “but there is nothing, nothing better than playing at home.” The raucous applause that followed set a precedent for the rest of the show.
The execution of Dissonants was clean, loud and fantastic: each member of the band giving everything they had, each song met with unprompted singing from the crowd, the whole room all smiles and empowerment. But it wasn’t until classic single ‘No Parallels’ that the gut-wrenching feeling of inspiration struck through the ribs and pulled at heart strings. You know the feeling – not a soul wasn’t screaming along, and the words “This is happiness!” were elated, raised up to another place.
Hands Like Houses are one of a kind. Though they’re on the fast track for A-list success, their live performances still retain that wonderful sensation of seeing a local show – that feeling of community remains profound and powerful.
