Live Review: boris laura sleepmakeswaves metro theatre

Sleepmakeswaves echo elements of bands like Decoder Ring and Mogwai and they produced a soft/heavy sound that was prog-rock and atmospheric. Despite a loyal following, their set didn't feel quite in the same calibre as the headliners, partly due to the absence of a number of their slower songs that err on the ambient scale of rock. That said, there is still some room to improve and perhaps expand on the slower soundscapes that didn't quite get a run on the night.

Laura, in the same vein as the other two bands they were sandwiched between, relied heavily on guitars and effects, employing what looked to be a 1950s switchboard along with heavy guitars, to create noise that was 12 parts drone and nine parts reverberating vocals. Again, an encouraging audience helped the band as they meandered through track after track of dreary melody and skewed rhythms, however it sounded like a few parts skipped a beat and it was hard to tell whether this was done on purpose or not.

Boris were welcomed by the reduced capacity crowd at the Metro and much time on the night was dedicated less to conversing with the audience (apart from a spectacular “Hello Sydney!” halfway through their set) and more transfixed with building their own wall of sound, apparently more popular in the west than their home country of Japan. Much of their appeal stems from their willingness to continually experiment with sound and their stripped back approach in creating noise has a unique way of fiddling with your insides, but being accessible enough in some aspects to not have to concentrate too much. With this on full display on the night, song after song was met with enthusiasm and applause and, as much as it's a novelty, it was extra special to watch lead vocalist, bass player and guitarist Takeshi crucify his double-neck custom dual bass and six-string headstockless axe. The band's take on everything cool about punk, thrash, post rock and metal was delivered with what can be described as a clash of cultures and the band's interpretation of the aforementioned genres was and is a refreshing interpretation, showcasing a band still at the height of its powers.

The night however ended on an awkward note (where they appeared to have no concept of licensing hours) and it clearly wasn't the band's fault for not returning to the stage for an encore, despite the persistence from the crowd.