The trick to attending a gig Circular Quay's intimate venue the Basement is to arrive early - not only does one avoid the throng by snagging a table, but they're often treated to some of the country's finest, less appreciated musical performances: tonight's offering was half an hour of sombre acoustic guitar and tenor vocals by Melbourne's Ned Collette.
The first of three gigs at the Basement, Augie March appeared as a seven-piece of primarily acoustic instruments, complete with trumpet, saxophone and a horizontal acoustic bass; an arrangement they are calling "lowkeystic". The On the Quiet tour sees the band playing an eclectic variety of their songs at very small venues with minimal amplification.
I released a sigh of relief when high-rotation hit 'One Crowded Hour' was reworked into a slower version featuring staccato singing and subtle ukulele and horn backing; however, I felt I exhaled alone, particularly as the song was requested during the encore (to no avail). Immediately after singing the heartfelt tune, singer Glen Richards unleashed an irritable whinge at the sound engineer, telling him to turn up various instruments so they could "sound like a band" (what happened to "lowkeystic" Glen?). After repeated pointing in all directions, more whingeing and an angry lyric thrown in the engineer's direction, Richards settled when his request to turn off the stage lights was adhered to, and he apologised for emptying his angry-box. From my perch immediately beside the sound booth, I was impressed with the acoustics throughout the show.
When I saw the band at Canberra's ANU Uni Bar in 2005 I remembered the resonance of their live sound, seeming to embrace the listener from all sides. Their songs are incredibly well rehearsed and it is rewarding to attend a concert that consistently improves upon the recordings, a hefty accomplishment for a band which recorded their latest album at Neil Finn's studio in New Zealand with producer Joe Chiccarelli (My Morning Jacket, The Shins, The White Stripes). The earlier outbursts from Richards were the only shortcomings of an otherwise excellent performance.
Lawrence Bull
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