Listening again to the catalogue of music of Brisbane band Custard, the first thing that strikes the listener is the brevity of the songs.
The average song is closer to two minutes than three, but there is a solid amount of classic music from the 30-plus years over which their career has covered. What also strikes is the originality of the band, featuring many different looks, styles and influences since the early 1990s.Their peak in terms of touring was definitely the mid to late 1990s, when they were a staple of the major festivals. From 2000, the band took a seven-, eight-year hiatus, before reforming and putting together another set of great albums, culminating in the 2024 release of their double album, 'Suburban Curtains'.
The double album clocks in at a fraction over one hour and noted as 'a nod and a wink to The Stones'. It was recorded at Frying Pan Studios at Mona, Tasmania, in only two days, with the aim to make it sound as live as possible, on the same recording desk used by The Beatles decades earlier.
Custard - image © Matt McLennan
The Open Curtains tour supports this latest release and winds up in Queensland. In terms of their music, I love how they summed it up in an early 1990s interview. When asked to describe their music, the answer given: "It's good, good in a crap way," and they still refuse to take themselves seriously to this day!
There is some great music, spanning the first recognised album, 1994's 'Wahooti Fandango' up to the latest release. Their most popular and best-known song is undoubtedly 1999's 'Girls Like That (Don't Go For Guys Like Us)'; but for me one song stands heads and shoulders above all, up there with the very best of Australian independent music, and that's 'Apartment'. What a perfect song, recorded in San Francisco on their second album.
I love bands dropping notes, changing chord structures, and that's exactly what Custard does, influenced strongly by none other than The Fauves! The 11/8 chord break in 'Apartment' is just fantastic, shifting up a couple of tones the second time it is played, the riff often but not always incorporating ninths or dominant sevenths. I love this type of songwriting and playing as it adds so much interest to what would have already stood out as a classic song.
Custard - image © Matt McLennan
Influencing their music are The Sex Pistols, The Clash, giving the punk feel of much of their earlier music, and Pavement, but also The Beatles (and no one did so much with chord and time variations as The Beatles).
Overall, there is a lot of great music, but only a small amount which is widely recognised. As a final point, they are famed for their film clips and their only ARIA Award is indeed for Best Video. (As an aside, it is well worth watching some of the recent US interviews with Dave McCormack on his voice role as Bluey's Dad on the fantastically popular ABC hit, 'Bluey').
Tonight's show (21 December) kicks of with The Stress of Leisure. A jaunty drum introduction from Jess Moore starts the set, with the fun 'Expectation Confrontation'. The first influence the audience hears is clearly Devo, with a nod also to the B52s.
The band plays through 45 minutes of fun music, highlights of which were 'Banker On The TV', 'Unhappy Wedding Photographer', and 'Dead Man Golfing', and we are left with no uncertainty around the politics of the band.
'Pulled Pork' is another with a political message, as the crowd chants "Democracy, Autocracy, Pulled Pork-ocracy" at the beckoning of lead singer, Ian Powne over Moore's wristy drum work. The set closes out with the oddly-named 'Man Who Makes A Racist Comment', the best-known of their work.
After the set, as The Fauves set up for their set, the onstage DJ plays 'Planet Earth' by Devo, so my thoughts seemed to have been affirmed.
The Stress Of Leisure - image © Matt McLennan
The Fauves have been noted a long-time influence on Custard, and put on a great similar-length set. Kicking off with 'UnAustralian', the audience was asked gently, "why are you being so standoff-ish, come a little closer!" 'Tell Someone Who Gives a F...', also off their latest album follows.
Lead singer and guitarist Andrew Cox, looking great in all white, plays a very odd guitar style. As a leftie, he just flips a right-handed guitar to the reverse side, the implication being he actually plays the strings upside-down. His other guitar is a left-handed guitar, but strung upside down, with the lower-tone strings at the bottom. Not unheard of, but very unusual!
The boys worked through a few more of their catalogue, sometimes with an almost country feel, before joking "everyone under 35 please leave the venue" as it's going to get a bit more adult, then seconds later "OK I think we're safe now".
Guitarist Phil Leopard is on the keys for this one (incidentally all three acts used the same very small Korg keyboard during their sets), followed up by the great 'Nairobi Nights'. 'Self Abuser' featured the two guitars and bass playing in perfect unison in the middle of the piece and was a real highlight.
We are told how far back their relationship goes with Custard, before they crank into their best-known 'Dogs Are The Best People' – with tinges of The Lemonheads – before inviting onstage a very special guest, Matt Strong from Custard, for the wild wind up with 'Everybody's Getting A 3 Piece Together'.
The Fauves - image © Matt McLennan
It's quite late when Custard hits the stage. First up is 'Someday' off the 2024 album although it is done without the 'false start', which appears on the studio version.
We are told "Ipswich rocks!", before being asked whether anyone is from Melbourne. No one puts a hand up, so the guys know it's safe to launch into 'Never Loved Melbourne'. During the guitar solo, lead singer Dave McCormack is playing cowbell, and asks at the end "any questions so far?".
The band often kicks off with 'Hit Song', apparently an easy one to play and great one to warm up on, so tonight that's up a little later than usual. The crowd is yelling and as he winds the song up, McCormack is wildly strumming the electric guitar into his microphone.
Custard - image © Matt McLennan
'Lucky Star' follows with its declining riff, and the boys have a great punchy sound for this. More brief humorous banter follows before they introduce an old song, apparently from 1913 just before the war started, done very simply and stripped back ('Pack Yr Suitcases'); keys are played by Pascalle Burton from The Stress of Leisure, but it's a lovely song and a great version.
'Pinball Lez' from their second work 'Wisenheimer' also generates a roar, with the crowd in full flight, and McCormack winds up with the mouth organ, playing in hilarious style where he hides the instrument, and we can't tell whether he's playing the mouth organ, or making the sounds by mouth.
Next up, Dave is out in the crowd with the maracas, walking out to the mixing desk, making his own adjustments and echos as he sings, very unusual of course but again just showing how different these guys are!
Custard - image © Matt McLennan
'I Love FNQ' follows, and McCormack heads offstage for a few songs. At this point, drummer Glenn Thompson picks up McCormack's guitar, and plays a great solo version of 'Piece Of Sh.t', then The Fauves drummer Adam Newey joins onstage while Custard's Thompson continues with guitar and vocals on the great single from the new album, 'Molecules Colliding' (an obvious tip to The Rolling Stones).
Jess Moore from the evening's first band is next on the skins, this time for the Custard hit 'Music Is Crap'. McCormack arrives back onstage for their biggest hit, 'Girls Like That (Don’t Go For Guys Like Us)' with a very quiet intro (unlike the studio version), featuring a flattish guitar sound, but it was fantastic!
2020's 'Funky Again' is a great track, with some very busy bass playing, followed by 'Singlette' (apparently recorded in 1971!), before a great version of 'Alone', and 'Anatomically Correct', which seemed like a real crowd favourite and sees Strong on his knees for the Abba-infused guitar ending.
Custard - image © Matt McLennan
For the encore McCormack is back onstage with a poignant piece played for a friend who had passed away this week and had worked with the band.
Next up, 'Apartment'. An absolutely classic version, filled with energy and hand signalling, and winding up with his guitar lifted high on his chest for one of the final runs. The guitar riff, timing, and drum fills were all perfect in this rendition, each slightly different – in an interesting way – from the recorded version.
'I Feel Like Ringo' is one they often end on, and the crowd was wild at this stage, loving this version. The final song was 'Caboolture Speed Lab' (apparently a B-side for the big 1999 hit), and wound up with McCormack yelling, with the tempo really gaining into a very frenzied end to the night.
Custard - image © Matt McLennan
Overall, these guys really come across as the least pretentious band in the country. They have a laconic, laid-back style (both onstage and when they produce and release music), interspersed with a lot of great humour and excellent music.
On a final note, special kudos to the three punters in front of me with the Bluey ears – a very nice touch to a great fun evening at a perfect sold-out venue, thoroughly enjoyed by all.
More photos from the concert.
