What an eye-popping, shit-hot gig this was! It was the type of show that was always on edge, there was the sense anything could happen as The Drones tore up the stage. The sheer gusto and passion of the band was really quite inspiring – these guys love performing and they do it so damn well.
Singer guitarist Gareth Liddiard was in crazy form, belting out song after song in an insane manner. Fellow guitarist Dan Luscombe’s savagery was far more subtle as he brutalised his axe, with drummer Michael Noga in a similarly controlled yet manic nature of contained chaos. And the delectable bassist Fiona Kitschin appeared to majestically float on air amid the onstage carnage.
Most of the set featured the bulk of the songs from Havilah, which is definitely the Aussie album of the year. They certainly came out firing, with the swamp rock power of Nail It Down. This was followed up with the thrashy new single The Minotaur, a song with genius lyrics like There’s nothing she can do / He does not talk, he does not move / He spends all day looking at porn/Or playing fucking Halo 2. Sheer poetry I reckon, and a good indication of Havilahs theme of disgust with western civilisation. The twisted dirge that is I Am The Supercargo was bloody magnificent, and Oh My, a song about how humankind is just a blip in universal history was definitely no blip on the show, but one of the highlights.
Gala Mill was also featured, with the hard rock boogie of I Don’t Ever Want To Change and the twisted churning rock of Jezebel. The anthemic Shark Fin Blues was just fantastic and had more than a few of the audience going a little nuts. While Cold & Sober gave us a chance to catch our breath before Luck In Odd Numbers wound us all back up again. And The Drifting Housewife surely had a few people reconsidering marriage.
After a short break The Drones were back on stage for an encore featuring Baby in all its noisy guitar glory, and Your Acting’s Like The End Of The World was a comfortable way to close the show. The Drones were quite outstanding and there style of dark/ambient/noisy rock deserves a bigger presence on the Aussie music landscape.
Photos By Alex Weltlinger
The Drones - The Metro Theatre - 24th October 2008
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The Drones - The Metro Theatre, 24th October 2008
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The Drones - The Metro Theatre, 24th October 2008
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The Drones - The Metro Theatre, 24th October 2008
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The Drones - The Metro Theatre, 24th October 2008
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The Drones - The Metro Theatre, 24th October 2008
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The Drones - The Metro Theatre, 24th October 2008
The Drones - The Metro Theatre, 24th October 2008
