Space funk aficionados Kora, hailing from NZ, are an imposing sight. They're not small boys, and there were four of them crowding the stage at the OAF. Their instruments take on Alice In Wonderland dimensions, dwarfed by the Kiwi brothers who play them. Despite their stature they managed to impart some subtlety and finesse in between their signature thumping funk jams.
Supporting act Cheap Fakes (from Brisbane) lit the place up with a roaring set of ska funk pop tunes and surf jams. It was shame we were listening to this underground in the middle of winter; these guys belonged in the sun, with grass underfoot and straw hats bobbing in the crowd. An undeniable conviviality saturated their material, made up of airtight rapid-fire funk loops and upbeat blues chord patterns. Band leader Hayden Andrews swapped neat finger-pickin' dialogue with fellow guitarist and recent addition Joel Woods, while Aaron McCabe and Jeremy Thomas' rhythm section provided chunky, rubbery machismo and energy. Josh Appleby and Scott Bignell's horns never needed to shout over the top and delivered bright, messy solos big on fun and short on affectation.
After such a light-hearted opening the seriousness of the main act was a little jarring. It wasn't po-faced or without humour, but it was a far more focused and intense show than what their tour mates were offering. Their tone was playful with all the sci-fi sounds and bubbling synth wobbles, but at its core the show elevated the importance of R&B and hard funk over other aspects.
That being said, the talented brothers (and their unrelated member Dan MacGruer) were clearly enjoying themselves, and they avoided tension and drama. Reggae and dub sounds were coming to the foreground every now and then, which were nice counterpoints to the harder-edged hip hop elements.
Their bio tries to drive home the point that they're sonic explorers, but there was a disappointing lack of variation that was more and more apparent as the set went on. By the end of the show the strong crowd were favourable, but there was nothing groundbreaking going on that deserved anything more.
