Slowly Slowly - Gig Review 9th August @ The Triffid, Brisbane QLD
Slowly Slowly
The Triffid, Brisbane QLD
Supports: Sly Withers, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers
We bloody love The Triffid. The fairy lights, the plants, the Karaage Chicken, it's all good. But what was even better was Slowly Slowly playing a very almost sold out show there.
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers are an all female alt-rock band from Canberra and they blew everyone away. With girl next door vibes and sweet harmonies floating through the punchy lyrics these girls were better than an opening band usually is and actually crowded the venue. They played a brand new song called 'See You In A Bit' which was catchy and crowd favourite 'I Like That You Like That'.
Not too shortly after, Perth boys Sly Withers stepped up and I've said it before but I'll say it again: I don't know what's in that Perth water, but I want some of that magic. They sound similar to bands like Ceres and The Hard Aches, they have that indie punk sound that comes across brutally honest with their super Aussie accents.
The crowd became a little rowdy when they played their latest single 'Lately' which features both guitarists singing, and they even debut a super new song called 'Rational' which was said to be on a future release. These fellas had a lot of fun on stage, and if the drummer's teased, cotton candy looking hair was anything to go by, well, it was good times all round.
Sometimes you wonder who picks the music in between bands; do the band get any say in what songs play before they walk on stage? If so, then we have to ask Slowly Slowly about their choice of 'Pony' by Ginuwine because that one really got the crowd gettin' low.
The band walked on to screaming and cheering, frontman Ben Stewart with a glass of red held loosely in his hand and they kicked straight into 'Sunburnt Shoulders', 'Alien' and a surprising new track! Called 'Creature' it featured mainly Ben's trademark ballad style lyrics backed simply by guitar. Short, it was a very brief taste of what's to come.
But, jeez, this band know how to frolic on stage. Hair flying and guitars swinging, the whole nine, really, with the crowd's eyes absolutely glued to the stage. Fans almost melted at their cover of 'Skinny Love' played live, and then held Ben up when he crowd surfed during 'Smile Lines'.
Slowly Slowly are honestly one of the most impressive bands on the circuit right now. Genre and music totally aside, their connection with fans and the way they control their sets and therefore the crowd is quite unlike anything I've seen before. They can take it down to a slow song, pick it up and then drop it right down again and the crowd just eats it straight out of their hands. There's no heckling for certain songs, just pure adoration. Especially when they introduce their guitar tech who gets a kiss on both cheeks every time he swaps their guitars over.
Their control was extremely evidenced when the band say they're going to try something different and walk off stage mid way through the set. A few minutes later Ben walks back on a changed man with a new shirt on and hair bound back. And now we have the softer side of Slowly Slowly, just Ben, no band. This is where songs like 'Christmas Lights' and 'Song for Shae' actually work live because they've changed the dynamic of the show to fit them in.
I could rave all day about this gig and how Slowly Slowly's energy infuses everyone, and being worried about the vein that pops out of Ben's head when he sings, or the fact that they politely shot down the call for a shooey. But, at the end of the day, all I really want to say is that this is a must see band.
If you weren't a fan before you saw them live, you will be now. And if you were already a fan, well, now they've made a little nest in your heart forever.
Review by Ebony Story
Setlist
Sunburnt Shoulders
Aliens
Creature Pt 1 (new)
Skinny Love
Smile Lines
Deathproof
Cold War
PMTWGR
Christmas Lights
Song For Shae
New York, Paris
Alchemy
Good Friends
Jellyfish
Encore
Dinosaurs
Ten Leaf Clover
Slowly Slowly - Jellyfish Tour
