Live Review: Pond, Adrian Dzvuke

Punters flocked to the elegant Astor Theatre for an evening with Pond to celebrate the release of new record Tasmania. The public holiday long weekend vibe and excitement about a rare hometown Pond show contributed to an electric atmosphere in the stately room.  

Before Pond hit the stage, Adrian Dzvuke and his hotshot band played a striking set to the eager crowd. Dzvuke is charismatic to the core and his Afrobeat tunes are silky and stylish. While he has a distinctive approach, his vocal style shares some similarities with the likes of Chance the Rapper and Frank Ocean. Many in attendance will be keen to see him again.

Pond waltzed onto the stage to whoops and hollers and burst straight into Daisy, the lead song on Tasmania. Pond’s songs seem to evolve and shapeshift over time as they live and breathe in the world, so it was fascinating to witness the songs live for the first time. Among the new material, the cosmically loaded Burned Out Star and the pleasingly melodic Hand Mouth Dancer were standouts. Beneath its melodic veneer, Hand Mouth Dancer is a prime example of the increasingly political nature of Pond’s lyrics. It is destined to become a favourite.

Pond’s considerable back catalogue creates great diversity and interest across their sets. The highlights this time ranged from a rousing version of the psych classic Giant Tortoise to the feverish synth of Fire In The Water. The latter was marked by Nick Allbrook’s observation that the song’s prophecy has recently become true, following the fall of a particularly noxious South Australian politician. The delightfully unhinged Zen Automaton, replete with flute interludes, was a surprising and enjoyable selection halfway through the set.

The set closed in fine fashion with the title track from The Weather. After some foot-stomping from the throng of Ponderers, the encore started with Medicine Hat after a couple of false starts that were received in very good humour by the crowd. This melancholy number is a great demonstration of Shiny Joe Ryan’s troubadour talents and it was a genuine treat to hear it played tonight. 30000 Megatons closed proceedings in magnificent, apocalyptic style.

The grinning crowd poured out into the warm summer night with some great memories after another Pond masterclass. Here’s hoping for some more hometown shows this year!