For many University Of Adelaide students, the on-campus experience is bookended by Open Day and graduation ceremonies in Bonython Hall. So it’s fitting that it showcases two bands at opposite ends of their careers, and the atmosphere is just as reverent.
Openers The Cortex Shift have a penchant for dramatic flourishes as they play a set of instrumental jazz that switches from smooth to angular in the beat of a drum. The quality of the music is offset by intentionally ridiculous track names like 'Moose Sluicing Is Not The Answer' and the guitarist is endearingly awkward while announcing them.
The elegant hall is bathed in blue, creating an atmosphere which is classically stylish without being stuffy and its lofty ceilings allow plenty of space for contemplation and awe. Both are indulged as the headliners kick straight into gear with the hypnotic space age pop of 'Anamorphose'. Cheers greet its announcement, setting up a pattern for the night.
There’s minimal crowd interaction; lead singer Laetitia Sadier announces each song to a smattering of cheers before Stereolab launches into a range of classics. With the exception 'Margerine Eclipse' track 'Need To Be', the set list concentrates on their '90s heyday with tracks that combine recurring melodies, a propulsive beat and Sadier’s commanding yet light-as-air vocals.
It’s easy to get lost as they build a sound that seems gauzy and insubstantial but is anchored by insistently pounded drums and enhanced by the occasional crescendo of thrashing guitars. “You can dance to this one”, Sadler says as she announces the kitsch exotica of 'Miss Modular'. Even more compelling live are tracks like 'French Disko' and 'Metronomic Underground' which have more dynamic structures and build to crescendos of buzzing guitar.
For an hour the crowd is rapt at this music that sounded impossibly exotic in an age before streaming and file sharing. Then 'Lo Boob Oscillator' connects all the dots, a cheesy melody that evolves into a rhythmic indie chug before coming together in a wild, climactic finale that mixes indie, disco and pulsing psych rock with the sound of a spaceship coming in to land.
An encore of three songs is followed by a crowd request, 'John Cage Bubblegum', a perfect nugget of power pop before the crowd is released after a perfect night.
