Live Review: Phantastic Ferniture, Nice Biscuit

There’s a lot of buzz around supergroup Phantastic Ferniture after the release of their debut album and it’s not just from the furniture store of the same name. Hey, nothing like some free publicity. It was unsurprising then that The Foundry sells out and puts its floor to the test as punters cram in like sardines with a night of slow grooving firmly in mind.

The second support slot went to Nice Biscuit, who play a set so nice you could dunk it in your tea. Cruisey drumming and grilling guitars are overlaid with blonde harmonies from co-frontwomen in matching outfits. The band are a throwback to psychedelic surf garage with a nod to The B-52’s and it all just works.

“This is Josh, this is Ryan, this is Liz and I’m Julia.” Edging closer to the stage, eager to see Julia Jacklin under the Phantastic Ferniture guise, the dancefloor is ignited by her trademark folky croon with a country wobble, played over cruising indie-rock guitar and drums.

It is the band’s first time playing in Brisbane (well, other than an in-store gig at Jet Black Cat earlier in the day) and the first show of the tour. Despite the trademark heavy melancholy, the fronds play a warming set full of freewheeling songs made for rolling in the night. Dark Corner Dance Floor is introduced as the song Jacklin wrote as she was “trying to find her way in a concrete world” but it is fan favourite Fuckin ‘N’ Rollin that takes the show. Or so we thought...

Chants for an encore are met with excitement. They've just fucked and rolled their way into our hearts so surely that means a cover is coming our way. As the all too familiar drums ring out across the venue, we stare down the barrel of a Farnsey cover. After a set as comfy as your favourite armchair, it was clear that a Foundry mob with Phantastic Ferniture in charge was not going to sit in silence. And they were definitely not going to live in fear. Woah-oh-oh-oh.