Once upon a time, former Pavement guitarist Spiral Stairs (aka Scott Kannberg) called Brisbane home.
The artist saved the Brisbane show of his Australian tour for last, and his set at Black Bear Lodge (10 December) showed he couldn’t be more excited to be home.
Support came from Thigh Master and Blank Realm, two Brisbane bands Scott praised during his own set.
Thigh Master charged through a snappy set of jangling indie-rock, getting a great reaction from the early crowd.
Meanwhile, Blank Realm played a set of unrecognisable songs. It turns out they’re all new, as the band are gearing up to record a new album. If the songs tonight are anything to go by, the upcoming record will be massively anticipated.
The tiny space was cramped in time for Spiral Stairs’ set. Scott and his four bandmates mostly played tunes from his latest album ‘Doris And The Daggers’, a title he admits he was going to call his current band because “it’s such a cool name for a band”.
No matter the name, any band would be glad to have Scott’s new songs including the new wave ‘Dance (Cry Wolf)’ and the sweet jangle of ‘The Unconditional’.
Brisbane fans danced to Scott’s new grooves, but it becomes apparent over the set that his love for Brisbane is mutual.
His former home is referenced in multiple tunes, with the first appearance in the snarling punk ‘Vultures Of Caboolture’, which was played live for the very first time. References to Brisbane’s shopping centres appeared in new song ‘Pig City’; the title inspired by author Andrew Stafford’s book, who was also present.
The band let loose through Pavement track ‘Kennel District’, with a broken string hanging from Scott’s guitar.
Scott turned manic on ‘Hypnotized’, swinging his mic stand around before wandering into the crowd to scream the song’s title, and finishing by tearing through a covering Captain Beefheart’s ‘Tropical Hot Dog Night’.
“Sorry, we’re having fun,” Scott apologised at one point. There was no need to apologise, as Spiral Stairs having fun is fun for everyone.
It was good to have Spiral Stairs home, but that he made it such an occasion was extra special.
