Live Review: ball park music nantes cub scouts the hi fi

1 April 2012 | 10:12 am | Tyler McLoughlan

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Local indie-pop quintet Cub Scouts look a little stunned to be opening tonight though their super-tight melodies and three-way harmonies go down well with an early crowd who give them a confidence boost with clear recognition of their triple j single Evie.

As the curtains draw, Nantes begin confidently amidst a swirl of knob twiddling and atmospheric feedback, asserting themselves with the punkish outline of Control before pulling out the pretty keys melody of single Charlie early. Their ability to play clean riffs off scuzzy meanderings is admirable, though frontman David Rogers' low growl often gets lost in the mix, and with it goes the signposts of navigation through much of their set.

As soon as Ball Park Music roll onto stage, kitted out in suits, to surprise all with Pulp Fiction's opening track Misirlou which moves seamlessly into Literally Baby, any prior happenings of the day are instantly forgotten. Frontman Sam Cromack is already in form, mounting the foldback, eyeballing the audience and gesturing wildly, though it's by no means the Cromack show; each band member plays an integral role that is variously highlighted through stage antics, instrumentation and the natural personality of their cheeky, but clever-as-hell pop. These guys know how to put together a serious song too, transposing the highs of their radio singles down into the sober tones of Alligator, opting for momentum changes, crescendos and mournful harmonies for impact. Their triple j Like A Version rendition of The Flaming Lips' Do You Realize? goes down a treat, highlighting the special connection via harmony between Cromack and bassist Jennifer Boyce, who mid-song is relieved of her ponytail in the lead up to the Shave For A Cure mane event. Crowd favourite iFly has been honed to the hilt, right down to an actual show-stopping pause in which Cromack teases applause until he feels the response is adequate enough for his band to kick back in. Confetti cannons create a technicolour, cuddle-sway-with-your-mate atmosphere as the six Ball Park kids sweetly communicate their parting message to a dedicated crowd: It's Nice To Be Alive; a room of wide-eyes and smiles concur.

A brief and beery duelling guitar encore between guitarists Brock Smith and Dean Hanson ensues before Ball Park Music show off their rock chops with The Kinks' All Day And All Of The Night. They've covered so much ground tonight, and though they've been performing at a consistently high level for some time now, all elements from the stage banner, layout and lighting to the dynamism of the setlist has been meticulously sharpened, and Ball Park Music can now be considered one of Australia's foremost live acts.

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