Augie MarchFraser A Gorman opens with a brief set of country-tinged, singer-songwriter-driven rock, which goes down easy. Gorman radiates personality despite the group looking a little small on the big stage.
As people file in after intermission, picturesque/grotesque visions of the city and sparse bushland are played on a loop with Definitive History lyrics periodically displayed. As the lights dim, Augie March take the stage and the fragmented map of Australia that adorns the Havens Dumb album cover is all that can be seen as the band launch into the teaser track, which acts as a taste of things to come. Beauty and depression, with glimmers of hope and happiness, come across thanks to Augie March’s uncompromisingly strong musical talent. Glenn Richards’ powerful emotive voice drives the show, which is amplified by the aural bliss of our confines.
Men Who Follow Spring The Planet ‘Round and Hobart Obit follow and the set from this point draws largely from the Havens Dumb and Sunset Studies albums. Here Comes The Night is one of the evening’s rare, straight-up balladeer rock moments (which the band essentially embody) when they are minus the vibrant horn section. Quite casual between tracks, the band often share jokes about themselves with the audience. Richards lives up to his reported reputation as a perfectionist by forcing the band to restart tracks, even abandoning an entire song (despite an impressive build up) due to alleged guitar tone issues.
When performed live, Watch Me Disappear’s The Devil In Me may lose the sheen/bright production of its recorded counterpart, but truly is beautiful simplicity on stage. Things go all rock show with the heavily western-inspired This Train Will Be Taking No Passengers, but we’re then bought back down with the delicate Bottle Baby. The loud downer-psych of Owen’s Lament rounds out the initial set.
The band re-emerge for an encore and launch into Never Been Sad: a desolate, all-consuming black hole of despair despite its flourishes. It is completely touching, a true set highlight. The looming One Crowded Hour follows and is delightfully flawed, its tempo is sped-up and, coupled with sound issues and Richards’ guitar strap falling off in the song’s final moments, tonight’s performance almost parodies the beauty of the song that brought the band widespread attention. Going back to the Waltz EP, Asleep In Perfection gets a rare airing and, in contrast to the preceding track, feels like a piece of intellectual ‘90s rock-pop. After running overtime and thanking seemingly everyone, Augie March close with the heart-warming There Is No Such Place, which feels like the perfect parting gift.
