Photo: Michelle Ho
Spinning fans spelling out 'ZOUNDS' in bright LED lights, a plastic shark head with drum sticks poking from its open jaws and a cool neon-coloured backdrop welcomed Sydney group Dappled Cities to the stage. Sound issues plagued the band early, with guitarist/vocalist Dave Rennick's failing pedals putting a halt on the concert even before they had managed to play a chord, but luckily it was a minor hitch in an otherwise solid show.
A very mixed audience packed out the Metro to capacity, from the younger and under-aged, to those you might recognise from the Hoey gigs way back when. Headlining a show on their home turf, it's apparent that the Sydney band have come leaps and bounds since the days when the word 'Fly' was still attached to the end of their name. Their latest record, Zounds, is already being praised by fans and critics for its maturity and complexity and the direction it is taking the band in, and the recent addition of full-time member Ned Cooke on keyboard has also had an obvious positive influence on the band and their live performance: new songs such as 'Miniature Alas', 'Slow For Me, My Island' and 'The Night is Young at Heart' have more emotional depth and fluidity than their previous work. Even their early hits, like crowd favourite 'Holy Chord', take on new life when they're pulled out tonight in the main set.
Returning to the stage for the encore in outfits adorned with fairy lights, Dappled Cities launched straight into infectious single 'The Price', and capped off a tight, energetic and enthusiastic performance. The band's smiles never wavered, even as they were leaving the stage - and why should they? A stellar new album, a sold-out Saturday night headline show: Dappled Cities should be proud of how far they've already come.
Michelle Ho
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