Photo: Carrie Dennes
The Paddington Town Hall was lit up in the red and blue of the Union Jack in honour of the Ben Sherman Big British Sound - a night to celebrate all things British. With its all-Australian line-up, the concept of the evening was a little confusing for many who were really just there to catch some fine homegrown acts.
The walls were decorated with Vespa riders and mod-inspired designs. While the start of the evening was somewhat reminiscent of a school disco with the crowd scarcely scattered through the hall and sticking to their safe little groups along the wall, Jack Ladder inspired some, if minimal, movement to really start the later part of the evening.
His soulful gravelly tones coupled with his bluesy folk-inspired tunes were incredibly refreshing to watch. His opener, 'The Barber's Son', was followed by a steady set of ditties that would invite an unsure audience up to dance. By the end of his set, where he also covered Rod Stewart's 'Maggie May', he had established a following which, although small, was enthusiastic.
Tame Impala graced the stage next, bringing the late '60s to the stage. Their soulful classic rock-inspired originals, such as 'Half Full Glass of Wine', were met with huge cheers and people dancing around the room with a seemingly reckless abandon. It was apparent that this young Perth band was what really drew the crowd to the heart of Paddington. Their other notable cover 'Remember Me' (made famous by UK DJ Blue Boy) tied their set off and left people applauding and demanding an encore, a wish that was unfortunately unable to be fulfilled.
Tying up the evening were headliners Little Red, again stepping out of a time warp and into 2009 at a frantic pace. Hints of doo-wop, gospel and classic pop were thrown behind the Melbourne band, and the musical talent between them all was phenomenal, with band members swapping instruments and microphones like they were going out of fashion. Hits such as 'Coca Cola' and 'Jackie Cooper' had the audience begging for more, and it was plain to see that Australian music is again beginning to offer something fairly remarkable to its punters.
As for the Big British Sound: it was a hugely enjoyable event; however, for a sold-out show there was certainly a lot of room to move. Perhaps this is a concept that, with a little more time behind it, could really begin to celebrate UK music in a much bigger way.
Carrie Dennes
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