Tiny Moving Parts, Bad Neighbour, Sports Car, Stripes @ Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide 18/1/2025
Math emo rock lovers rejoiced as Tiny Moving Parts returned to Adelaide playing the front room at Lion Arts Factory in support of new album Deep In The Blue released last year. I’m surprised that more people haven’t cottoned on to this band because they play a fantastic live show and the energy and intensity they bring to their performance is next level. Nevertheless, those who were there had a great night seeing Tiny Moving Parts go about it with support from Brisbane’s Bad Neighbour and local bands Sports Car and Stripes.
The beauty of this gig for me was seeing a couple of new bands totally unfamiliar to me but still keeping things interesting. Up first and bang on seven was Stripes who according to a description on Google suggests they are ‘roller bladin’ self- degradin’ twinkle emo with a side of garlic bread’! Making all the right sorts of noises this duo are an exciting prospect who are worth exploring further. Similarly, Sports Car are another band full of potential and have plenty of the right stuff. They have some great songs in the kit bag focusing on songs from 2023 EP What Leads You Here with highlights for me being Western Suburbs and Serial Lovers.
It has been a while since Brisbane band Bad Neighbour have been in town but they more than made up for it with stirring set. It seemed as if they brought their own supporter group as well which was great to see. They to have a new album to play with Millions released last year and there was a good helping from it. Powering through opening tunes Slip Away and Paul Avery it was on to new single 20,000 Knife Fights. Even singer Cooper Riley was a bit confused to why the sun is still up despite being on stage at half eight! More new music to follow with In The Car, And The Fleas, Millions, Carried but it was the bold set closer Heart Pumps Blood that proved popular.
This tour seemed very DIY with the guys from Tiny Moving Parts meticulously paying attention to detail making sure all their gear was set up correctly. Tiny Moving Parts are Dylan Mattheisen (lead vocals, guitar), William ‘Bill’ Chevalier (drums) and Matthew Chevalier (bass guitar, backing vocals). Dylan has the biggest smile you’d ever seen and didn’t stop from the moment he entered the venue to leaving looking genuinely excited to be there. What I really liked about their set was there was no bullshit, just get on, play, rock out, impress the fans and go. Eighteen songs in seventy minutes or so was really good going.
They were well and truly on right from first drop of Before I Go then bowling over more familiar tunes Always Focused, The Midwest Sky, North Shore and Applause. The set list just about covered every nook and cranny of their back catalogue with the exception of debut album This Couch Is Long & Full of Friendship. At this point Dylan said “we’re so happy to be here, it’s awesome”. There wasn’t heaps of talking letting the music do all the talking and keeping the flow of the show moving.
So many good songs from The Cure (But Not Really) to Decibel and non-album single You Lost Me. Singing, guitaring and playing harmonica on the later, is there anything Dylan can’t do. With the layout of the front room I would have thought crowd surfing would have been a bit trickier to do but they found a way and that intensity seemed to lift the band as well seeing everything getting in to it.
The title track off the new album was killer but it was the tracks from their self-titled album that stood out with the likes of Tangled Up and Day Drunk impressing. The back end of their set was equally great as well finishing on some absolute winners with the very popular Sundress which got the crowd singing finishing on Caution and Birdhouse. The crowd started the chant for one more which they got with the band returning to play Medicine off breathe. Don’t miss Tiny Moving Parts, great show and really good value for money with what was on offer.
Live Review By Rob Lyon