Live Review: Big Scary @ The Triffid

After a long and agonising three years the hypnotising and aura-striking, Melbourne duo Big Scary returned with a tour across our humble land and with them they brought the ‘Animal’.

To begin the night, Big Scary played out the first track from the chapter Hunting on their latest album ‘Animal’. The loud, booming drum beginning was met with a plethora of screams as it’s addictive, silky synth-soaked beats took over. With the track’s tasty organ solo it seemed as though the band had taken over a church. The greatest part of the track was the saxophone, which amazingly you could actually hear over everything (anytime a sax is involved you are instantly in my good books!).

Darkness Now began with its steady build up of reverberating piano pulses and eerie synth twangs mixed in with the short deep percussion set. As the track played out it was as though Big Scary were plunged into a whole other world, as all of the band and stage disappeared amongst the swirling of lights and mass of smoke. It sent the track into a whole new level that you cannot experience from a the recording.

Later in the night, Joanna Syme excitedly announced they would be playing one of their old tracks Bad Friends from way back in 2011 and the sixth track from their album ‘Vacation’. The old track still brings on that whole new level of chill that only these partners-in-crime can create. The duo took to the stage alone to play out the acoustically ambient track and their vocals mixed perfectly together amongst the charming and warm beat.

Breathe Underwater labelled under their chapter Resting and the ninth track from ‘Animal’ took a similar theme of acoustic guitar strums and mellow percussion. It was as though we were taken through a relationship between bickering lovers as the lights aggressively flashed red and yellow, yet the duo’s soft vocal melodies kept getting lost amongst the assemble of instrumentals.

The band left the stage after playing almost their full album and a few other songs but they returned once more to the deafening overabundance of screams and cheers. Over Matter instantly took over The Triffid as the woozy organ-like melodies could be felt through the ground and Tom Iansek’s distant echoes called out over them. As the pace quickened with Syme’s drum beats the crowd began dancing wildly, yet the ending with the sax is just… no words…I am now in love with Gus Rigby.

To finally finish off the amazing set, Big Scary played out Twin Rivers from their 2013 album ‘Not Art’. Their lyrics spoke to the very souls of those who had come out to see their show and still had an early work start the next day. “Gonna have to wake up/ I don’t want to have wake up, get up, get changed, game face/ I don’t wanna have to wake up again this morn”.

It was a perfect way to end the night with the tracks captivating beginning of a simplistic mix of the leads vocals flowing smoothly into one another. The chilled-dance pop rendition left the night on relaxed, yet high note. In all honesty, I feel my words will never give justice to the wonderful experience that Big Scary delivered. The band simply delivered much more than what you could expect.

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