Live Review: Sweet Oblivion #8
On Friday November 20, the YMCA HQ in Leederville hosted the 8th Sweet Oblivion showcase evening. These events, held as part of the WAM Festival, present the best of the young, emerging talent in the Perth music scene to an audience of all ages. The 8th showcase was headlined by Figurehead, who were launching their self-titled EP. Joining them on the bill were Uncle Jeffrey, SOMA and Belgrade. Daniel Morey was there on the night to witness it all.
Kicking off the proceedings was Belgrade, my pick of the opening acts. The four-piece brought with them their unique take on indie pop, complete with gorgeous harmonies and liberal amounts of violin. Their music was compelling and a beautiful way to start the night. In other words, I give Belgrade an A grade.
Belgrade
Next were SOMA, who were by far the loudest of the night. At times they appeared slightly uneasy on stage, though this will surely improve with age. They blasted through their set with a sound mixing garage rock with hardcore punk. Their blistering set managed to make ears ring, heads nod and feet tap.
SOMA
Uncle Jeffrey followed, with a tone that would find them fitting comfortably alongside rock acts like Wolf Alice or Bully. Though not particularly inclined to converse with the crowd, the band delivered a diverse set of songs that was well received. Their slow-burner tracks in particular demonstrated great capability.
Uncle Jeffrey
The crowd had steadily grown as the evening progressed, and it was to a nearly packed house that Figurehead finally took stage (which was decked in fairy lights specially for them). As always, the boys were in a fine form, performing their catchy brand of indie pop. Whether singing about love, friends or Transperth bus routes, Figurehead somehow manage to consistently make music that will stick in your brain; there was hardly a single person who wasn't humming one of their songs at the end of the night.
Figurehead
As Figurehead packed away their gear, the crowd filed outside, ears ringing from an entertaining night of good music, good people and an ample dosage of distortion pedals. Sweet Oblivion, as it tends to do, certainly chose some of the most promising upcoming artists. I therefore urge you, dear reader, to consider their future events; and there are many more to come.
