Reviewed onThursday February 2 (photo by Ashley Mar)
Canada’s punk rock/riot grrrl power band White Lung graced St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival over the weekend after a sideshow at Newtown Social Club. A separate focus for the evening, though, was that many punters knew this would be their last at NSC, following the venue’s announcement that it will close in April.
Opening the show were the Sydney indie boppers Phantastic Ferniture. Led on vocals by 2016’s hot new thing Julia Jacklin, the Ferns played some of their best tracks with an understated yet infectious energy. Their love of performing live was clear, and they have clearly worked on honing their sound to become tighter every time they play.
The modest crowd was noticeably larger when White Lung came out. Instrumentally, the band shone, with Kenneth William on guitar, Anne-Marie Vassiliou on drums, and – as of last year – Lindsey Troy on bass. However, when you make your fame on a powerful husky female voice, this voice needs to stay strong in live performances – and Mish Barber-Way’s vocals didn’t quite translate from studio to stage.
That said, the band’s passion stood tall. Barber-Way’s performance was not without energy, and the love from the crowd was sent back in sweaty and beer-stained waves. And then it was over – at only 40 minutes long, the set may have left a disappointing taste in the mouths of ticketholders who’d paid $40 for the privilege.
Ultimately, White Lung were overshadowed by their openers Phantastic Ferniture – perhaps due to the fact they were playing their hometown, or because their sound works better live. White Lung have a fantastic studio catalogue – a punky, cheeky and pissed-off mess of life and words – but they fall just short of delivering a memorable live show.
