LIVE: Blonde Redhead – Perth, 18 June 2024

LIVE: Blonde Redhead – Perth, 18 June 2024
The Rechabite Hall, Perth
By Harvey Rae
Photos by Pete Gardner

Everyone was getting a three-piece together in the early-mid 90s.

In New York, they knew better than most that avant-garde noise merchants Sonic Youth were responsible for signing Nirvana (the band at the root of this phenomena).

There, the Milan-via-Montreal-via-NYC twins Amedeo and Simone Pace, jazz trained in Boston, met Kyoto-born film student and singer Kazu Makino. The group’s talent was quickly evident, leading to a string of cult no wave albums. But it was the art-rock and dream-pop of their 2000s output that caught the world’s attention, as Blonde Redhead truly came into their own.

Two of these records, 2004’s Misery is a Butterfly and 2007’s 23, deliver the crowd favourites on Tuesday. The latter, in particular, shines at the Rechabite. Its title track is equal parts mosh and dance, a rampaging anthem of exquisite dream-pop, lifted by Makino’s melody, which is mystical enough to reflect the song’s numerology-themed lyrics.

Amedeo Pace’s songs Spring and by Summer Fall and SW feature monster guitar freak outs and epic finales, backed by his brother’s precise, hectic drumming. The latter even mimics the baroque, Beatles-esque horns of its studio counterpart with some nifty synth work from Makino, who is never overawed by the twins’ clear mastery of their instruments.

Compared to the carefully arranged mixes of their studio productions, the Blonde Redhead live show stretches out a little. It’s all languid and loose limbed; an expression of technically peerless musicians having fun onstage.

This suits latest record, Sit Down for Dinner (released last September). First single Snowman’s pastoral acoustics are beefed up with electric guitars and given a shoegaze makeover to fit alongside the rest of their catalogue.

The album’s standout, a six-minute plus title track split over two parts, is a thing of beauty. Following an atmospheric first half, Part 2 has the crowd pulling shapes to its gentle, psychedelic groove.

With songs taken from just three of their 10 studio albums, it is unlucky that Perth misses out on fan favourite Here Sometimes (usually played in the encore).

“May we experiment?” Makino asks instead. “It’s the first time… we never had the guts to play (this) before.”

Amedeo’s I Thought You Should Know is the unexpected treat, before Kiss Her Kiss Her closes the night in a dreamy haze, Makino dancing her way into our hearts.

Earlier, Artfool is a perfect foil to start the night. Joined on stage by guitarist Molly Case (of Tether) adding serene backing vocals, the project formally known as Lo is appropriately lo-fi, low key emo, given skeletal arrangements and multi-tracked vocals to highlight the broken fragility of the songs.

“You’re the only one who’s ever felt right,” Lo O’Hara opines, almost mournfully. Later, on Fiction, it’s “You run hot in my mind.” Evocative in the vein of Julien Baker’s solo work, and with Floating already surpassing a million streams on Spotify, there’s plenty to be excited about with this local act.

Unlike Sonic Youth, Blonde Redhead have managed to keep the band together post band member break-ups. But there’s no denying the palpable chemistry between co-singers (and exes) Kazu Makino and Amedeo Pace on stage. It’s still electric.

Whether they are running into one another, colliding headlong, or trading lead vocals mid-song, one senses this indie rock Fleetwood Mac story is the frisson that keeps us — and them — coming back for more.

Blonde Redhead setlist –

Falling Man
Dr. Strangeluv
Doll Is Mine
Elephant Woman
Snowman
Melody Experiment
SW
Sit Down for Dinner, Pt. 1
Sit Down for Dinner, Pt. 2
Maddening Cloud
Spring and By Summer Fall
23
Rest of Her Life

ENCORE

I Thought You Should Know
Kiss Her Kiss Her

Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries