LIVE THE BREEDERS, Perth – 28 Nov, 2018

Shane | 5 December 2018 | Reply

LIVE THE BREEDERS, Perth – 28 Nov, 2018
Amplifier/Capitol, Perth, Western Australia
Reviewed by Brian Dunne

Wow! Just fucken wow! Now, that’d make for a pretty short review, though it does manage to encapsulate the defining theme of the outrageously fun gig which The Breeders handed to their fans on this neat night out. But more on that later.

First up were the puzzling yet very special Hachiku. I don’t know what I even thought of it, perhaps it was the spectacularly unfashionable look of the band, who seemed confused as to why they were in Perth when they ambled onto the stage at Capitol, though it did not take long at all to win the interest of the crowd and peachy keen interest of this reviewer, at least. Hachiku’s strong songs, delivered by the Bjork-like Anika Ostendor bloom boast an intensity of feeling not often heard. Get into ’em kids, before your friends beat you to it.

So, back to the wow! The Breeders (wow!) opened up and played with such joie de vivre that I just had to look that up to spell it [btw, it means joy of life]. The packed crowd whooshed out the largest cheer I’ve heard for a while when the band took to the stage. The elation level of these partisan punters peaked at maximum right from the start and stayed there until long after the three song encore a couple of hours later.

Yes indeed, a twenty five song set which plays for many folks as the soundtrack to their nineties lives. Kicking of with Saints (wow!), Wait In The Car, No Aloha and Divine Hammer (double wow!), a set punctuated by old gold was peppered with new tunes from their 2018 release All Nerve. These songs slipped effortlessly in amongst the band’s earlier gems.

Then Kim Deal announced “We know how to play a Beatles song”, and ripped into Happiness Is A Warm Gun, followed by Safari and New Year. Then The Breeders played it. Yep, that song which lent the nineties a saving grace, Cannonball. And the lid lifted off the Capital building. I mean, I haven’t been to check it this morning, but I would not be in the slightest bit surprised to see a crew of carpenters nailing the roof back on today.

Job done! One would be content to say, but not The Breeders, they were still only half way banging through the thrills that only they can Bang On. Then Drivin’ On 9, Off You and other classic songs were still to come. Oh yeah, I mentioned the cover song The Breeders played earlier, well to close their set they nonchalantly trotted out a second cover. And their should be a law against any other group even thinking of covering this particular song, though Kim gets a free pass on covering The Pixies, Gigantic (and we are all now officially in heaven).

Not content with bathing us all in such a stupendous set The Breeders graciously blessed the heaving crowd, who were certainly not leaving in any hurry, with a three song encore of some of the sweetest songs ever in the history of ever; I Just Wanna Get Along, Do You Love Me Now? (we do) and When I Was A Painter (wow! Wow! WOW!)

If you were lucky enough to be there, you’ll know what I mean. If you weren’t? Don’t miss The Breeders next time they wash up on Westralian shores.