Live Review: The Goon Sax, Degas

Friday nights at National Gallery of Victoria are quickly transitioning from subdued cultural gatherings to trendy hotspots – which is surprisingly perfect. 

A sea of faces rolls in and out of Degas – A New Vision, as the 19th century artist is being exhibited for Friday Nights at NGV. Parents, children, young and old are all equally enthralled by the pieces so astounding and controversial of their time. Degas experimented with planned and staged pieces and, as the exhibition informs, claimed himself that “no art was ever less spontaneous than mine”. In many ways this is indicative of the night itself, as the Great Hall fill ups for the night’s headliners — The Goon Sax. 

Shadowed by a revolving backdrop of Degas’ most impressive pieces, The Goon Sax take to the stage and immediately get the crowd moving. The stage presence of main vocalist Louis Forster is somewhat stilted and reserved at first, as if he is being overly respectful of the context of the performance. However, when he and bassist John Harrison swap roles throughout the evening, Forster loosens up and gives a fresh scope of energy and enthusiasm. Watching the Brisbane trio effortlessly jam out the oozy cool Telephone is a prime example of this, as Forster takes the opportunity to step back and enjoy the experience with his crowd.

The semi-aloofness of The Goon Sax’s performance unfortunately lends itself easily to external distractions. Some obvious mixing issues in the Great Hall results in tracks like Sweaty Hands becoming unbalanced and bass-heavy, but the unfazed three-piece regain full attention with faultless harmonies and incredibly well-rounded musicianship. 

Listening to Forster expertly sprawl out Home Haircuts and Boyfriend, it is hard not to be reminded of his Go-Betweens father, Robert. Both have such control over their lyrics and vocal styles, and even without the family connection, a comparison is almost unavoidable. Even Harrison conjures up images of The Go-Betweens, with his earnest lyricism and care to detail in tracks like Icecream (On My Own) and Sometimes Accidentally. The trio have nailed the sounds of ‘80s jangle nostalgia, while still having a hold on their own unique indie roots. 

The Goon Sax are in no way typical to what may be expected of NGV, but their acoustic pop sounds echo through the gallery in a perfect juxtaposition to the classical works. It is not a spontaneous or perhaps even surprising performance, but is a beautiful one nonetheless.