Reviewed on Tuesday June 9 (photo by Ashley Mar)
Entertainment: it’s a strange game. Conventional wisdom would suggest the entertainer’s job description is in the name itself; the onus is on the performer to build the audience they deserve. And yet, how many carbon copy pop stars have somehow inherited a devoted audience the world over? And how is an outstanding contemporary act like TV On The Radio’s audience at this Vivid LIVE appearance just so uninspired?
First up is the enfant terrible of Australian songwriting, Kirin J Callinan. He begins in stripped-back solo mode, strumming only the occasional chord over his pleading tenor. As the performance goes on and his backing band grows larger, Callinan’s shrieks of guitar and sonic manipulation prove too much for some, who make a hasty exit to the safer surrounds of the bar outside. However, for those who stay, the set is exhilarating – particularly so for the punter Callinan invites onstage to act as a human mic stand for ‘Come On USA’, and who ends up bellowing the refrain into the microphone himself.
TV On The Radio expand to a six-piece in the live setting, and their cacophonous instrumental intro shows off the power this set-up can harness. Jaleel Bunton must be one of the hardest hitting drummers to ever appear on the Sydney Opera House stage, while Tunde Adebimpe’s arms and legs are in perpetual motion from the off. The frontman’s voice projects nicely through the Concert Hall, so the conviction behind a song like ‘Happy Idiot’ carries near and far.
Indeed, these leading lights of American indie put on a committed, even defiant performance tonight. And yet, their audience seems circumspect, happier to observe politely than participate as completely as the band obviously desires. These songs rely on irresistible rhythm and drive, more than anything else, and yet an exasperated request from Kyp Malone is required to get anybody on their feet for a boogie.
It takes a masterpiece to lift the crowd beyond the mood of self-conscious reverence that this famous venue perhaps inspires. Thankfully, TV On The Radio have one in ‘Wolf Like Me’. Its layered melodies and insistent tempo compel tonight’s observers to finally express themselves, and the performers themselves feed on an energy that lasts the remainder of the show, through until encores ‘Ride’ and ‘Staring At The Sun’. Yes, Sydney, it’s OK to dance – even in your prettiest dress, even on a Tuesday night.
