The RubensSomething really cool happened at The Rubens last night. Somehow, hundreds of people were transported back to a simpler time, when rock music was just pure and energetic. The culmination of three genuinely great bands resulted in a night that would be lodged in the crowd's hazy memories for a long, long time.
There's nothing like the warm familiarity of an acoustic guitar and folky vocals to get you appropriately warmed up. Winterbourne drew a respectable crowd for their opening slot, their set being met with appreciative and generous applause.
Almost as mesmerising as Saskwatch's jazzy grooves is lead singer Nkechi Anele's spunky onstage dance moves. With six members on stage at once, the result is a premeditated wall of sound, all instruments on stage marrying each other in a perfectly elegant harmony. Finishing off with Born To Break Your Heart and Hands, their energy left a visible buzz in the room.
Entering mysteriously in a cloud of smoke and just looking so goddamn cool were The Rubens. Opening with Hoops track Switchblade, their poised and sophisticated rock sound almost brought a tear to the eye as an overwhelming sense of pride hit from watching just how much the band have matured since their debut album.
Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter
The band is a well-oiled machine full of more soul and heart than your grandma's homemade apple pie. They just get better every fucking time. Australia's less angsty answer to Arctic Monkeys, their ridiculously catchy songs had everyone mouthing along as they felt like they really knew the words. Lead singer Sam Margin's voice is smoother than melted butter, its comforting warmth seeping its way into our souls to mend the cracks of broken hearts and spirits alike.
The Day You Went Away involved a call-and-response involving the audience while guitarist Zaac Margin went full rock'n'roll and showed off his wicked shredding skills. The driving drumbeat of My Gun built up an antsy anticipation as all members showed off their talents.
The release of so many feels was almost tangible as the mood shifted for heartfelt renditions of Never Be The Same and Bitter End. It'll be great to see the band experiment more with creative arrangements of songs in the future.
As they finished off with album title track Hoops and encoring with a homage to their triple j roots in Lay It Down, nobody was ready to leave yet. A cameo appearance from a bottle of tequila as well as the opening acts for Hallelujah was a suitable final hurrah for the night.
Feel free to come back and make us feel like everything's gonna be ok again soon, alright lads? We don't want you to go anywhere just yet.
