25-03-07

To say that sitting in Brunswick on a Sunday night, where the weather was cold but the music was hot, is somewhat of a cliché in Melbourne. But a cliché is often a cliché because it is something based on reality that has happened so many times that it is instantly recognisable.

So for me to say that on this particular Sunday night that I was sitting sipping a beer, while it was bloody cold outside and a band preformed in front of me who were, not to be exaggerating, hot, is a welcome cliché. Kingtide, hailing from Sydney have been regulars on the reggae/roots circuit for a long time, and have completed a number of well placed support gigs and solo shows throughout Australia.

As recently as December Kingtide joined Melbourne reggae/fun legends Bomba at the Espy in St Kilda for what was probably the most underrated gig of the year, a merging together of two bands into a perfect symmetry of sound, complete with heavy bass rhythms and driving melodies that turned the Gershwin Room into a sweating, breathing life form (those who attended would know what I am talking about).

With this in mind, it occurred to me (and probably the 30 people who witnessed the same thing) that Kingtide's gig was doomed from the outset. A Sunday night for any local act is a difficult one. If the weather is ideal and elements, such as venue and timing, correct, then it could be a winner. Unfortunately for the group of musicians who played brilliantly on this Sunday, none of these elements fell in their favour.

There are some great venues for bands in Brunswick, but Don't Tell Tom is not quite there yet. I really like the room – tall ceilings, great sound from the PA, and a great beer garden with pool table. But on this night, these elements not only didn't help, they seemed to aid the disappointing turn-out.

With all of that said, I must say that Kingtide, for me, have been the highlight of the Brunswick Music Festival, putting as much heart and soul into a performance for 30 people as they would for 3000. Kingtide put out a solid, complete sound, with vocal harmonies from vocalist Tony Hughes and toaster/MC Paul Snatch that would send shivers down Bob Marley's spine.

Featuring songs from their most recent record, Scared New World, the members of Kingtide proved beyond doubt that they're foremost a party band. Songs such as Funky Reggae, World's Gone Wack, and Ites, ites, ites (written to commemorate Tony's seeing ska legends The Skatilites play), were infused with covers such as the Wailers' classic Simmer Down and swinging track from reggae master Yellowman. My personal favourite was their ska-ed up version of Bob Marley's Soul Shakedown Party, which even had the owner of the bar dancing.

And that's what hit me as being something essential for this band's survival – the ability to make people dance. In between their two sets (yet another obstacle in the night) I had a chance to sit and chat with the guys. They didn't bitch and moan about the quality of the gig (although that's not to say they weren't disappointed). They smiled, shared a bottle of rum, and decided to treat the people who had made the journey to a show of personal favourites and fun. It's this optimism that made what could have been a complete disaster, a gig that people will hear about but only few can say they witnessed.

--Choppy Chopstein