LIVE REVIEW: Butter deliver a good spread at "Hocus Pocus" single launch
The gradual rise and proliferation of local neo-soul outfit Butter has been an interesting journey to behold. Within months of their first shows, the band was soon headlining gigs and playing alongside some of Perth’s most celebrated acts on some of our most celebrated stages. What became clear as I walked out of Mojos after Butter closed the night in celebration of their single launch ‘Hocus Pocus’ , was that this was no accident, and in the words of Garland Briggs, “a tremendous feeling of optimism and confidence” engulfed me as to the things that might lay in store for the 6 piece.
The atmosphere in Mojos was ecstatic. Packed like sardines in the modestly-sized venue, the audience waited with giddy anticipation, and as the jazz-infused hip hop beats Butter have become known for kicked off, so too did the magic they had all come to witness. Being a 19-year-old gen-x’er, the times of seeing Tame Impala live at the local were before my time, but from the clean, King Krule-esque, jazzy beats Butter are putting out, I can’t help but feel that this is the origin story of a band that could potentially be the next ‘big thing.’
Guest singers included Jamilla, and Nelson from Superego (f.k.a POW! Negro), who ignited the set with silky smooth vocal delivery and bars fire enough to get the crowd melting into a groove that didn’t stop till the lights came on. In a technically flawless set, Butter demonstrated their incredible ability to reproduce their recorded songs in a live setting while presenting themselves with a level of verve and confidence that is on par with a band ready to take their show on the road, with standouts instant classic ‘Make it Home', and, of course, 'Hocus Pocus.' Having to live of up the self-produced and fine-tuned single was no difficult feat for Butter, with the keyboardist smashing out deliberate off-tempo chords in perfect harmony with the rest of the band. Looking comfortable and well within their element amongst the familiar crowd of friends, strangers and family, the mood and atmosphere of the night was elevated from run-of-the-mill to a true celebration of one of Perth’s most talented young acts and their ever-growing popularity.
This launch made it obvious that Butter are well and truly on their way to forging their musical path forward to the next step. From spending countless gigs on stage becoming comfortable with each other, with any crowd and with their talent, the future is bright for Butter and sooner or later, we’ll all be cooking with it.
