A gig with Lyall Moloney and Boo Seeka on the line-up (6 January) proved too tempting to pass up.
I made my first appearance at the Woolly Mammoth to witness the second annual Shake ‘N’ Bake unfold, featuring the entire Sureshaker family (unfortunately minus Bootleg Rascal).
Sydney-based newbies Gold Member were a pleasure to watch kick the show off, crowd-pleasing and fun and clearly passionate about performing, all without taking themselves too seriously.
Az’s vocals were stronger than expected; surprisingly fixating and extremely easy to listen to, backed by some impressive riffs on the guitar. Gus’ talent shines, adding electronic elements to each track all while tying the sounds together.
'Stick The Moon' is a solid tune, showcasing the boys’ distinctly Australian vibe (Sticky Fingers come to mind) and laced with hints of reggae. Though Gold Member are only beginning to break into the music scene, I expect plenty of cracker tunes to come in 2017.
Lyall Moloney well and truly exceeded my expectations, which, after reading a handful of positive reviews, were high to begin with.
The guy is unreal, piecing together a dozen, incredibly-catchy tracks with what can only be described as a rare multi-instrumentalist talent, a well-developed LYMO ‘sound’, and an ability to pinpoint and execute exactly what his fans want to hear. It’s a marvel watching the man work his way around two microphones, a loop pedal and a guitar, though he does so with relative ease, all while exuberating a laidback, nonchalant attitude and producing a beat that you can’t help but sway to.
Even as an emerging artist, 'Black Dog' scored a massive response and an exceptional amount of recognition from the audience. I’m a massive fan.
{youtube}I6J2rFjJ60E{/youtube}
I first saw Boo Seeka perform live in Cairns as Sticky Fingers’ support act in 2016; the gig blew my mind and pushed the duo well onto my radar of ‘ones to watch’.
Although surprisingly their Shake ‘N’ Bake appearance was underwhelming, partly due to the overpoweringly heavy bass and barely-audible vocals (Ben Gumbleton’s soulful voice is arguably the driving force of each track, in my opinion), partly due to the letdown of Lyall Moloney leaving the stage (whose vibe and stage presence I preferred).
Even still, Boo Seeka’s four singles are incredibly strong; it’s no surprise the boys have boasted a number of sold-out shows in recent months, attended by an expanding fan base evidently hanging out for the release of their debut album.
Ben Gumbleton and Sam Croft have expertly crafted a genre, balancing heavy synths with alternative vibes, steered by roots-inspired vocals. With compositions as unquestionably groundbreaking and captivating as 'Fool', 'Deception Bay', and 'Kingdom Leader', it will be interesting to see if their impending album rises to meet their shining reputation.
