Live Review: Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders, Geoffery O'Connor

Geoffrey O’Connor played a strong opening set of songs mostly from his new album Fan Fiction. O’Connor cuts a fascinating figure on stage, flanked by a sole bandmate on electronic percussion. His phrasing was so considered and coolly emotive you could argue there was a sheen of pretension and detachment – yet his performance brought his album to life. Lyrics took on deeper meaning sung live and his judiciously placed guitar stabs and weaving solos added another human touch amid the dreamy sophisticated pop.

Jack Ladder’s career arc sees him taking a different line of approach to his melancholic songwriting with each new release. The Dreamlanders – including Donny Benet, Kirin J Callinan, and Laurenz Pike (PVT) – are crucial to the sound of Playmates and its predecessor Hurtsville and live they gave the impression they were playing with every ounce of passion and enjoyment on stage. In a band with such prodigious talent it was no small task for Ladder to remain the focal point as the singer, songwriter and frontman, yet with his physical presence and that commanding ornate croon he effortlessly harnessed the vibe and focus of the audience making it feel like a suitably joyous album release show. Playmates contributed the bulk of the songs with a couple of forays into Hurtsville via fresh and more muscular takes, particularly on Cold Feet. The new songs sounded bigger, bolder, dirtier and sleazier in a Depeche Mode mirror-balled and neon-lit dive bar way. Reputation Amputation was pure throbbing menace with Callinan’s strafing guitar sonics sounding like a digital banshee. Neon Blue was its dubbed-out metallic Massive Attack counterpoint while Slow Boat To China reminded us of the bruised beauty that has always been a constant in Ladder’s music. The performance made a great album sound even more dramatic and intoxicating and showed just how far Ladder’s music has come.