Augie March and Gareth Liddiard grace The Hi-Fi
Gareth Liddiard
Words: Leah Holdsworth
Photos: Kate Scantleton
It is a sad state of affairs indeed when the support band eclipses the main act. And unfortunately, this was the case at the Augie March show at the Hi Fi last Saturday. Gareth Liddiard, the frontman from the Drones, with help from Dan Luscombe, the guitarist, played a mesmerising opening set. Gareth truly possessed a presence that demanded attention. While it may be true that half of the crowd stood chatting away, blithely unaware of the performance taking place on stage, the rest of us stood or sat frozen in awe. The Drones songs that the duo covered were exquisitely rendered almost new.
Though they played a long opening set, the audience was left wanting more.
Glenn Richards
With no greeting to the eager crowd of Brisbane, the lead singer Glenn Richards plunged head first into a less than passionate opening song. Eye contact was sparsely exchanged between the band members, who seemed to be trapped inside their own heads. It was if they were each individually jamming detachedly to each song with their heads tilted, lips pursed, and eyes closed.
Glenn Richards
However, Richards’ lukewarm renditions failed to captivate my attention, and likewise the crowd was subdued and dull. While Augie March is indeed one of Australia’s most critically acclaimed bands, their performance at the Hi Fi lacked the lush, intricate, and (most importantly) captivating detail that their studio albums do not.
Tags: alternative, Augie March, Australian, Dan Luscombe, Drones, Gareth Liddiard, Hifi Brisbane, live music, review, Soft Rock, west end
