Live Review: Harmony, The Stevens, Mere Women

11 April 2013 | 10:12 am | Sam Lambert

Halfway through their set a number of projections start to play behind the band, which shift the dynamics of the night one last time.

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Opening the bill for the night are Mere Women, whose brooding sound leaves the crowd mesmerised. The slap-back delay on singer Amy Wilson's vocals make the lyrics hard to decipher, however the shadows she casts on the wall behind her add to the mood and tone of the band's music. Guitarist Flyn Mckinnirey fills out a vital part of the band's sound, accompanying Wilson's vocals with shrill guitar tones while at the same time adding a deep and brooding rhythm with drummer Katrina Byrne, who uses her kick drum and toms effectively.

The Stevens follow and replace the dark, ambient nature of the night with their subversive pop tunes. This band keeps the crowd entertained with their short, sharp set. Each song rolls into the next and, before the crowd knows it, the band are thanking them for dancing and packing up their gear.

Finally, Harmony takes centre stage to a near-full house. Immediately after belting out the opening number, and in one of the few moments of complete silence tonight, frontman Tom Lyncoln approaches the microphone, telling the crowd, “This is the reason why we're here,” and with that the band launch into their new single Do Me A Favour, which they are launching tonight.

Halfway through their set a number of projections start to play behind the band, which shift the dynamics of the night one last time. Suddenly the guitars sound sharper, the drums punch harder and the harmonies cut deeper. On one screen – behind Lyncoln, bassist Jon Chapple and drummer Alex Kastaniotis – a school of hammerhead sharks swim aimlessly, reflecting the pain of the songs. A series of '50s-style physics and mathematical slides roll out behind the band's three-part vocal ensemble of Amanda Roff, Quinn Veldhuis and Maria Kastaniotis, and these seem to represent the complexities of what the band are trying to say.

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