Live Review: Gold Class, Black Vacation

Black Vacation set up shop in the corner of The Tote front bar.

The empty bar fills up quickly in preparation for the start of their set. The sun, the 5.30pm start and the familiar mustiness of this venue make for a relaxed vibe. Black Vacation’s brooding and introspective sounds suit the occasion well with most people grateful to let time slowly whittle away. Interaction with the audience is limited and the gig has the vibe of watching a garage jam. While the songs all feel similar, the band is perfect to listen to while shooting pool and easing yourself into a Saturday night.

Gold Class take the stage and open with their single, Michael. The sound is surprisingly crisp for a bar that comes with notices such as, “Use Ciggie Machine At Own Risk – It Can Leave You Without Ciggies And Money”.

Adam Curley’s wailing vocals make the band pop. With a voice akin to Morrissey, Curley gives each track an edge and intensity that is transfixing. Drummer Mark Hewitt, dressed in an oversized flannel despite most of the audience being dressed in shorts, also impresses by playing intricate, varied beats for each song. The front bar packs out, with about a hundred people vying for space, and the pool table is transformed into a raised seating gallery. Curley is engaging as a frontman, at one stage crawling through the crowd to sing a verse. While the intimacy of the gig is great, it would be good to see the band play in surroundings more amenable to dropping your inhibitions, shutting your eyes, opening your ears and swaying. The most memorable moment of the set, however, occurs when the bartender attempts to tape the ends of an exposed wire hanging from the ceiling above the bar. All that he manages to conjure is a large spark and dozens of shocked stares from the crowd who are relieved he didn’t manage to electrocute himself.

During the final track of the set, the aforementioned bartender goes above and beyond when Curley climbs on top of the bar and strays close to the exposed wire. He grabs the wire and holds it firmly out of the wandering singer’s path. With a thank you, Gold Class finish up and join the crowd in meandering toward the beer garden to catch the last of the Saturday afternoon sun.