Live Review: Friends

There was a distinctly international flavour to The Corner on this Tuesday night, with the arrival of three of the more intriguing additions to the Splendour In The Grass line-up to take part in what was billed as a “mini-Splendour” for Melbournites.

Up first were Londoners Zulu Winter, who prefaced their set by letting the crowd know that one of their synths had been destroyed on the flight over, forcing keyboardist Dom Millard to improvise. You couldn't really tell though, as the dapper-looking lads ripped through an inspired collection of atmospheric guitar pop tunes. Silver Tongue was an early highlight lifted, like most of their set tonight, from their excellent debut, Language. As the room filled up and the band settled in it was easy to see why Zulu Winter had been handpicked for the expanses of Belongil Fields, especially as they closed with the brilliant People That You Must Remember.

Hailing from Minnesota, the home of luminaries like Hüsker Dü and The Replacements, Howler take the stage donning denim jackets and kick off with Beach Sluts. Very much a product of their home town, the four-piece are led by Jordan Gatesmith, who comes off looking a bit like a mix of Deerhoof's Bradford Cox and Matthew Perry when he was skinny. Their brand of chaotic guitar punk takes a while to sink in but eventually finds its target with single, Told You Once. Hilarity ensues as bass player Max Petrek invites the front two rows of the crowd to rush the stage for their final number, much to the obvious chagrin of Gatesmith and guitarist Ian Nygaard.

It might've been a show for the curious tonight, and the bill itself was presented as a triple headliner of sorts, but the instant that Friends singer Samantha Urbani hopped on stage it became clear that the Brooklynites were the main attraction. Drawing an irresistible line in subversive dance-pop, Friends are one of those bands that somehow manage to confuse and excite at the same time. Urbani was a ball of energy, bouncing up and down while sloping her shoulders and gesturing suggestively in a display reminiscent (in looks and sound) of an early Mariah Carey. Engaging in some easy banter with the now souped-up crowd, Urbani eventually followed Howler's lead and invited the same group of front rowers on stage to dance. No regrets for Friends though as they blazed through their final two numbers, snuck off and left security to deal with the 30-odd confused-looking punters wandering around amongst the gear.