Braving torrential rain, gusting gales and dangerously wet roads, a throng of avid British India fans packed into the upstairs function room of Currumbin RSL, aka The Soundlounge to witness the Melbourne quartet’s much-anticipated ‘Nothing Touches Me’ album tour.
While a monster storm lashed horizontal rain outside, the enthusiastic crowd rocked away to a setlist perfectly balanced between new material and beloved classic tracks. As soon as the opening strains of ‘Wrong Direction’ burst from the speakers the party was on for young and old, the audience exploding into a frenzy under the sweaty glow of the stage lights.
With characteristic stagecraft and musicianship, British India moved deftly through favourites from the ‘Controller’ album such as ‘Summer Forgive Me’, ‘Plastic Souvenirs’ and ‘Blinded’ before showcasing two more tracks from the new album: ‘Spider Chords’ and ‘Blame It All On Me’.
After that they dived into sing-along fodder with ‘Run The Red Light’ and the essential ‘Tied Up my Hands’, which brewed a rousing response, the crowd nearly drowning out the band.
Partway through the show, bassist Will Drummond announced a special surprise for vocalist Declan Melia who had celebrated his 27th birthday the day before. After a round of ‘Happy Birthdays’ and a mouthful of cake, it was back to rocking new stuff with ‘Angela’, ‘Suddenly’ and the titular ‘Nothing Touches Me’.
One surprise for me was the appearance of a keyboard on this tour, something Declan once stated vehemently would never happen, but hey, it’s their band and they can do what they want. It didn’t matter anyway because as usual, British India put on a powerhouse performance which fulfilled and exceeded the expectations of even the most discerning punter.
Not one person wasn’t dancing, moshing or singing at the top of their lungs as they rounded out the set with ‘I Can Make You Love Me’ and their standard closer ‘This Ain’t No Fucking Disco’.
Despite their proven ability to play large arenas and headline festivals, British India have always said the best shows they do are intimate, pub, punk-rock shows and this one was a perfect example of why; their energy is infectious and in such close quarters as The Soundlounge, it’s impossible not to get swept up in the madness.
As a reviewer, I’ve been privy to several British India shows and they never disappoint; their stage set-ups might be minimal, but that doesn’t matter because you don’t go to a British India show for stellar lighting and pyrotechnics, you go to have a damn good time and that’s what exactly you get. Because, simply put, British India are a fucking, awesome band.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, British India are one of Australia’s best bands; buy their albums, see them in concert then die happy, you’ll thank me later.
