MTNS at Brighton Up Bar, Sydney – live review
MTNS and supporting bands The Game River and Left. provided an ambient musical delight for a cosy Valentine’s evening at Brighton Up Bar last Friday. Heather Vousden reviewed and photographed:
The Game River, a recent side-project from Bexley De Lion’s front man Dave Thomas, set the mood for the steady inflow of people making their way up the stairs to the venue. His smooth, honey vocals provided a welcoming, warming atmosphere, perfectly accompanied with the indie-folk acoustic harmonies and his relaxed, friendly, polite stage-manner. The early evening listeners were a decent crowd in comparison to other gigs with a similar time-slot, and appeared very much engaged in what the band had to offer.
Sydney based band Left. a collaborative effort between guitarist Jono Graham of Made in Japan and vocalist Sarah Corry (pictured) followed with a smooth, elegant transition from The Game River in preparation for MTNS. Filling the slot for GOVS, who had to withdraw last minute due to unforeseen circumstances, provided a pleasant contrast from folk to electronic. Maintaining the warm, mellow, dreamy vibe of The Game River, they also gradually built up through their set list before playing crowd favourites, Slow Knife and Girl. The band’s admitted musical influence SBTRK, is evident in some of their tracks, but their drive to evolve into their own creative entity is evident with the repetitive glittery guitar overlays, and the mesh of pop and hip hop vocals. The catchiness of their tracks had many members of the crowd shouting the lyrics with huge smiles on their faces, demonstrating the emotional connection their music had gained from their fans.
Finally Brisbane trio MTNS took to the stage in front of an eagerly awaiting crowd of fans. Many of which had positioned themselves at the front of the stage well in advance in anticipation. I had been listening to their new EP Savages during the week frequently, so had already picked out my favourite tracks, Fears and Lost Track of Time. Neither song disappointed. The pace and synth-driven tempos were captivating, along with Tom Eggert’s powerful, genderless vocals. Joseph Thiang’s focus and rhythm progression on drums also provided an entrancing vision to watch.
For heaps more photos from The Game River, Left. and MTNS at Brighton Up Bar in Sydney, check our Facebook Photo album.
Words and pictures by Heather Vousden
