Live Review: Tame Impala @ The Riverstage, 21.11.2015

Perhaps one of the most talked about acts of 2015, Tame Impala, fronted by the legend himself Kevin Parker took punters at the Riverstage on a trip on Saturday night. With their new album ‘Currents’ propelling them into the hearts and minds of fans around the world, the band have played the likes of Coachella, Lollapalooza and Splendour In The Grass and on Saturday, after what felt like an eternity of waiting, it was Brisbane’s turn to experience the magic…

Kicking off the night with lead single off the new album, ‘Let It Happen’, the almost eight minute epic picked the crowd up and swept them off their feet from the get go. There was no need to be timid, and no slow build up, within seconds punters were screaming Parker’s lyrics back at him and grooving along to the beat.

Encompassing an amalgamation of tracks from debut album ‘Innerspeaker’, sophomore album ‘Lonerism’ and of course the newest offering ‘Currents’ meant that fans from all stages of the bands progression had something to sing along to.

With synth galore and a killer lightshow expertly synced up to the music’s every rise and fall, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were tripping (even if you’d managed to grab a spot of air clean of certain substances). Tracks like ‘It’s Not Meant To Be’ and ‘The Moment’ had the crowd swaying as one, praising the men onstage.

Having written and recorded the tracks himself, you’d almost expect there to be some mismatched moments between the live band and what Parker had recorded; as if impossible to recreate the magic initially envisioned. But unlike many bands who struggle to find the perfect fit of live musicians, the band that surrounded Parker just got it. Capturing the very essence of each song individually, it was almost impossible to gauge that these musicians were not the original creators. Synergy like that is not easy to come by, but man does it create magic when you get it right.

Old classic ‘Elephant’ was a crowd favourite, with a built in jam session that had everyone losing their minds. You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d entered a dream state as they played through a handful of tracks from the new album including; ‘Yes I’m Changing’, ‘The Less I Know The Better’, ‘Eventually’ and ‘’Cause I’m A Man’. There’s a reason this album has propelled Tame Impala into headline festival spots and tours around the world. The tracks are slightly pop-ier, but they still manage to hold onto the psychedelic, trance like nature that is highly reminiscent of their earlier stuff. After all that was the point of difference that got people hooked in the first place.

When you listen, and I mean really listen to the tracks you start to hear layer upon layer of sound. When you think about the fact that Parker has built each and every song from scratch it starts to give you an idea of the craftsmanship this man possesses, how truly talented he is as a musician and how grateful you are that he’s chosen to share his talent with the world.

The encore rolled around far too soon. ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’ provided a nostalgic feel, leaving me missing the concert even though I was still standing in the crowd. ‘Nothing That Has Happened So Far Has Been Anything We Could Control’, a six minute epic was the perfect end to the perfect night, drawing out that final drum roll, in the strobe lights you could already see that everyone was hesitant to leave.

With showmanship and talent up the wazoo, it’s only going to get bigger and better for Tame Impala. I thought I would leave feeling satisfied for finally seeing them, but really I’ve walked away desperate for more. So, until next time…!