Live Review: Basement w/ Turnover @ The Triffid
With everyone’s best flannelette shirt and black jeans on, the hype was real as hundreds of eager Basement fans squeezed into The Triffid to experience four hours of heavenly rock goodness.
As the herd of angsty punters squeezed tightly into the aircraft hanger, many were surprised to see the familiar faces of Columbus onstage instead of hardcore legends Break Even. For reasons unknown, the Perth quartet pulled out of the show, leaving many confused and disappointed. However, credit must go to Columbus for picking up the slacks only hours before the show and providing the crowd with an energetic and appropriately loud punk set.
Once all the confusion of a lineup change had settled, it was time for shoegaze outfit Turnover to hit the stage. Opening with a seamless trifecta of atmospheric bangers, fans were immediately hooked on the driving drums of New Scream. Transitioning to smooth and infectious tune Dizzy On The Comedown, the quartet had the crowd in the palm of their hand. For their first performance ever on Australian shores, Turnover didn’t seem phased by jet-lag or the pressure of performing in uncharted territory as they played their way through a ‘Peripheral Vision’ (album) heavy set.
Having said that, the latest album was intermittently put on the back burner as the band made space to give Brisbanites a sample of their latest tracks Humblest Pleasures and Change Irreversible. The Triffid saw the best of every fans’ ‘Dad moves’ as the crowd swayed to the energy yet soothing grooves of the band’s last song Cutting My Fingers Off.
As the night wore on the room began buzzing with Basement fandom. Before the British rock quintet even appeared to prep their gear, the relatively large floor was packed like a sardine can with angsty, alcohol-fuelled revellers ready to headbang so hard they’d need a neck brace.
Without saying a word, the drumstick count-in to begin Whole was all the crowd needed to lose their minds. Playing a variety of tunes ranging from their first album ‘I Wish I Could Stay Here’ all the way to their latest work in ‘Promise Everything’, Basement quickly proved why they’re major hitters in the alt-rock genre.
From the soft grooves of Oversized to the grungier vibes of Aquasun, the Ipswich (the English one) natives were a well oiled machine, tearing through riff after riff with professional ferocity. However, when old fan favourites Yoke, Earl Grey, and Spoiled made their way into the set the pit turned rather ugly.
Whilst Basement’s performance can’t be faltered, the danger with edgy rock crowds is the tendency for excitement and alcohol to outweigh common sense and ‘mosh pit etiquette’. For the majority of the night the pit was safe and organised chaos. But problems arose when faster tracks seemed to throw some into a drunken frenzy.
While we’re all for moshing (what’s a rock gig without a mosh?), when pits turn violent and adrenaline turns from innocent fun to people looking for fights and pushing onlookers into what was on the same intensity level as a hardcore pit, it certainly takes away from the overall positive vibes of seeing a great band live.
However, away from all the drama of the pit, onstage were a bunch of ‘Brits giving their fans everything they could ask for. Finishing their set with a monster sing-a-long for well loved jam Covet, it was almost as if The Triffid’s roof lifted from the hundreds of voices singing their lungs out. The ol’ eardrums are still a bit fuzzy from the eruption of noise, but the best cure for post-gig depression is another gig right? Just maybe a pair of earplugs wouldn’t be a bad idea next time round.
Read our interview Basement’s guitarist Alex Henery HERE and our album review ‘Promise Everything’ HERE
