It may have been Orphans Orphans’ first gig, but these guys are far from being strangers to the Brisbane scene.
The 'supergroup' shares members with Morning Harvey, The Belligerents and perhaps most surprisingly, Jungle Giants, with Sam Hales trading in the guitar and doing a super job behind the kit tonight. It's intricate music, and it's done really well. Expect to see a lot more from these guys this year.
Nic McKenzie from Deep Sea Arcade has always had a Liam Gallagher-esque stage manner – lots of pointing (at the ceiling), lots of “how are you Brisbane”, lots of staring — and tonight is absolutely no exception.
He instigates a call and response with the crowd and it goes really well; the crowd is asked to sing along to a guitar riff (not your average call and response you see) and they comply immediately.
Deep Sea Arcade are one of those bands that have heaps of catchy songs that you didn't know they wrote, the set was filled with “oh yeah, this song is great, is this Deep Sea Arcade?” moments.
Oh man, Temples. The harmonies scattered throughout the set are outstanding, and just one distinction of many that separate this group from most others you'll see this year.
Temples: © Stephen SloggettFrom the get-go they prove the buzz surrounding them is justified and from the ecstatic cheering, it's clear every member of the sold out crowd agree. At one point the crowd start clapping out a beat and instead of waiting for it to stop, James Bagshaw sings ‘Keep In The Dark’ along to the rhythm – their recent touring schedule has prepared them to roll with anything.
Temples: © Stephen SloggettDrawing mainly from their debut album, the group also share a B-side that hasn't had worldwide release yet, and surprise surprise, it too, is wild. When the group walk off stage following their final song, nobody leaves, nobody even moves, everybody wants ‘Shelter Song’ – and the loudest response comes when they finally hear that jangly 12-string line.
Temples add a few off-the-cuff jams into the set, but the longest is saved for last, and the last is surely the best. Temples are truly top shelf.
Written by: Nash Johnston
