Slim's gets second time lucky with Winston Surfshirt
It’s been less than six months since Winston Surfshirt last played in Perth, and it’s clear that they’ve since garnered quite a following. So much so that their almost sold out national tour had them adding a second Perth show!
Playing to an eager Friday crowd at Jack Rabbit Slim's yet again, the boys began their smooth set after Chiseko and Grievous Bodily Calm warmed up the night. Whilst the latter might have been a hit or miss for some, it was possible to fault their separate talents. Combined, their hit of avant-garde jazz packed a punch, but it perhaps wasn’t to the interest of a one track minded crowd.
Chiseko, however, unleashed the first round of excitement with tracks such as 'Juice' — and more recently released, 'Westside Story'. Had there been a larger crowd at the start of the gig, Chiseko could have singlehandedly brought the house down. Nonetheless the artist is no doubt one to watch in the local hip hop scene.
Playing from their debut album Sponge Cake, Winston Surfshirt had waltzed in with quite the show lined up. In fact, the delightfully crafted album has been more than three years in the making, acting as an even more outstanding testament to their fast-growing name. And thank goodness, what a cosmic effort it's been. Sponge Cake lives up to its name; it’s light, airy and delectable. It's the perfect mix of experimental, slinky and laidback. The boys have definitely established themselves as the connoisseurs of modern funk, and this was an occasion to cement it. Cries of joy rippled throughout the crowd for songs like 'Ali D' and 'Same Same', which gave each member of the groovy sextet their rightful time to shine.
From the sax and the keyboard, to lead vocals AKA Winston himself, each part was flawless. Layered with the likes of timeless soul and flaming hip hop, it was a rowdy hour with plenty of hands in the air. The boys ended on a high note, finishing up their set with the ever feel-good 'Be About You' — only to parade back onstage for a highly sought after encore.
The next time Winston Surfshirt comes around, they’ll definitely be needing a bigger venue.
