sleepmakeswaves, Caligula’s Horse @ The Gov, Adelaide 6/4/2017
Sleepmakeswaves having been making their way around the country, launching their latest album Made Of Breath Only with a series of gigs, and Thursday night was Adelaide’s turn. The band returned to the The Gov, a venue that the band clearly enjoy playing at. It’s been a busy twelve months for the Sydney Post-Rockers. Not only have they delivered a new album, but this was my fourth time seeing them in Adelaide in just the past 10 months.
I arrived at The Gov in time see another strong set from Brisbane Prog-Alt-Rockers Caligula’s Horse, who I first caught a few months ago when they supported Opeth. They are an incredible live band, who perform with intensity and emotion. Their sound is perhaps more suited to a larger theatre, but it is also good to be able watch such great guitar work up close on The Gov’s low stage.
From the moment sleepmakeswaves step out in front of the crowd the band are completely focussed on their sound, and their performance. They are one of the most energetic and captivating live bands in the country. I remember that the first time I saw them live, not having heard their music before, it took a few songs for me to even notice that there weren’t any vocals, such was the intensity of their delivery.
Being quite a few albums deep now they have a lot of material to draw from, and started their set with To You They Are Birds, To Me They Are Voices In The Forest, from their 2012 album … And So We Destroyed Everything. Although they mostly focussed on tracks from their latest release, and from 2014’s Love of Cartography.
The band lurch and jump, their gear swinging and shaking. Each band member doing their own thing on the stage, expressing their connection with the music in their own unique way, and it is fantastic to watch.
With Made of Breath Only debuting on the ARIA Album charts at #15, I have heard it’s first single Tundra getting some plays on Double J, and it seemed to be a crowd favourite, with cheers going up as the band launch into it.
As they wrapped up their set, they commented on their own “bad dancing” and invited the crowd to join them as the electronic beat of Something Like Avalanches kicked in. It was wonderful to be able to watch such an uninhibited performance in an intimate venue. They are definitely a band worth catching live any time they are in town, which I hope continues to be very frequently.
Review by Kerrie Geier