Live Review: Kurt Vile, Early Woman, Pearls

Pearls perform before a handful of early arrivals that most definitely couldn't be described as swine. The three-piece from Melbourne bring together simmering drones soaked in heavy reverb to craft an '80s, post-punk sound, which comes with plenty of big melodic hooks that sound like they are edging their way towards crossover.
Early Woman come across as wooden as they kickstart their set with retro pop songs that wash down like The Partridge Family, even though their drummer seems more Josie And The Pussycats. A spaced-out Ben Montero on keys shares vocal duties with guitarist Hannah Brooks and the duo bounce off each other on the love song duets that make up most of their set. When the group really get cooking they slide into relaxed vibes with a distinctly '70s charm.
There are entertainers whose shows come with a whole lot of bling and then there are musicians like Kurt Vile who gig with a certain honesty and just concentrate on giving fans the songs they have come to hear. Maintaining an aloof distance with his audience, Vile plays from behind a wild mane of hair that covers his face for most of the show. He laconically addresses the crowd with a, “Hey,” and a, “Whoa,” or the occasional, “How are you guys doing?” Yet right from the start, with the dreamy blue skies of Wakin On A Pretty Day, Vile instantly connects with his audience. In full flight, he occasionally flicks the hair from his face and fleetingly gives the crowd a knowing grin. There isn't a hint of pretension here just an abundance of honesty that is invested in what he is singing.
As his fingers side across nylon and metal strings – aided and abetted by some sexy-looking stomp boxes – the shimmering sounds invite us to drift into some intricately fingerpicked shoegaze atmospherics, grunge and psychedelics. The Violators add a whole lot of oomph to the mix. This becomes important on the languid rocker KV Crimes but Vile can still cast a spell when he goes it solo on tunes like Peeping Tomboy. Vile's music references a multitude of distinctly American influences but as the gig progresses he increasingly settles into delivering his songs with a Dylan-esque drawl. “What would you like to hear?” Vile enquires as fans start screaming out song titles. “Play us your latest!” someone eventually screams. “Yeah, and what would that be?” Vile says under his breath, with a sneer, for the amusement of the front row as he continues to work off a setlist of tunes culled mainly from Smoke Ring For My Halo and Wakin On A Pretty Daze. Freak Train probably pops a few eardrums as it concludes the gig on a noisy and dissonant note.
Vile returns to encore with the deep reflections of Too Hard, which court Vile Corner Hotel Guido Farnell