MICHE SUITE EP LAUNCH
The Railway Hotel : Saturday 20, 2008
Review by Jack Graziotti SPACE SHIP NEWS
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What promises to be a great night of music beneath the stars takes an early twist when impromptu weather forces the bands at MICHE SUITE'S EP launch to play indoors. This causes some delays, but before too long MATT CAL opens to a healthy crowd with a soulful soliloquy about Australia's natural beauty.Looking every bit the authentic travelling troubadour, the unshaven Yallingup native reels in his audience with raw, wistful lyrics and finger-picked melodies from his steel resonator guitar.
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Soon after, tenor saxophonist Lindsay Baker and back-up vocalist Yani Kawi join him on stage, and the trio launch into a catchy, well-structured love ballad featuring clever lyrical imagery, splashes of love ballad featuring clever lyrical imagery, splashes of guitar delay, smooth back-up vocals and an energetic sax solo.
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Baker then trades sax for blues harp adding a more organic tone to an equally upbeat third song. It's then Matt's turn to boast his versatility - evoking shades of Eddie Vedder's famed 'golden baritone' voice as he has a stab at something a little more sombre.
Continuing to keep the crowd on its toes, Cal and co. crank the tempo and rock out a life-embracing anthem, reminiscent of early Jack Johnson, then slow back down with a floating cover of Men At Work's Down Under. The final song, a joyful, romping tribute to friendship, begins with a rousing vocal intro and finishes with emphatic cheers - the crowd clearly appreciative of the outstanding exhibition of authentic Western Australian roots they've just witnessed.
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Next, MO WILSON AND THE DRIVERS takes to the stage with a unique brand of home-grown rock. Boasting a well-refined sound and obvious on-stage chemistry, the group emanate class and confidence from the first note. With pianist and front man Mo Wilson triggering constant recollections of the late, great Jim Morrison (not only through his chiselled good looks but through his strong, brooding croon) the band provide a captivating blend of bouncing grooves and smooth lounge rock.
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By the third song the room is so full of funk that no one dares stand still. But it doesn't take long for Wilson to change the mood - swinging from the persona of an upbeat funkster to a melancholy man waltzing with his most miserable memories.
Whilst such a comedown could potentially interrupt the flow of a set, in this case it only serves to keep the dance-ready crowd enticed. After another slow number punctuated with outstanding musicianship, and a beautifully written ballad about the crows in Whitegum Valley, the crowd is finally fed more dance fuel. The floor is packed as the group throw out another funk-soaked crowd-pleaser; splashing the place with beats and chords towards the end of the tune.
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Miche Suite takes the stage showcasing a six-member cast of musicians that appeared as guests on the group's debut EP Where My Nature Lays. Front woman Leah Miche promptly wrenches the focus from the band's slick looking roster and launches into the catchy Stick in the Mud.It's all there: well-placed surges of blues harp, electric cello and violin; luring the crowd towards the stage and enhancing Miche's impassioned, melodious vocals. Mat Marsh's intricate drumbeats collide with Sarah Clare's tight upright electric bass work and Miche's acoustic guitar manoeuvring.
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Not one foot in the venue is left untapped.
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That foot-tapping continues with an equally upbeat love jig If I Leave, featuring passionate vocals, swelling strings and body-rocking breakout runs that continue to fire up an appreciative crowd. "Any nerves we had felt before the set are gone," Leah jokes, inviting Mo Wilson onto the stage. He accompanies the band through the jazzy, feel-good Sanderson Sons.
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From then on it's all about diversity. Silly Man casts a jilted, bluesy feel over the room, before Love Not Yet gets the dance floor swinging again with a carefree, running-through-a-field-of-native-shrubs kind of feel. An intriguing cover of Suck My Kiss by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers raises the question "What can't they do?" before an uplifting, all-in version of Where My Nature Lays brings the set to a close.
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The crowd, greedy for more, demands an encore and is graciously granted one more tune. Miche Suite sets off on a three-week tour of South West Australia in early January.