I approach the bar and see a sign saying "Cocktail special for tonight DARK & STORMY." I'm not entirely certain "dark and stormy" is what I would use to describe what the night is going to be like, but I like the idea of dark spiced rum, ginger beer, and bitters on a night like this.
I'm at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne to see one of my all-time favourite bands after almost 30 years.
RIDE was one of my earliest musical influences, and that first mini-LP Smile was a gateway into indie music. While writing my review of their latest album, I discovered much to my delight that they were playing live the following week. So I promptly bought my ticket and arranged for someone else to cover my shift!
The Forum Theatre in Melbourne is a stunning art-deco period building built in 1929. Inside there are greco-roman statues and florentine-style decorations. The ceiling is painted a cerulean blue, and gives the appearance of a twilight sky behind the stage.
I kinda felt at home walking in.... the place was packed with 40-somethings. It felt like going to a High School reunion. But better. For some reason I felt self-conscious about being a crusty, middle-aged man going to see a shoegazer band. My memory of this music is of young, skinny kids in black jeans dancing aimmlessly to the dreamy fuzz-pop that RIDE are well known for. But I guess all those skinny kids all grew up... and here they were, bearded, balding, with that tell-tale middle-aged spread.
Our generation have aged gracefully, I think. I remember going to see Jethro Tull at the Concert Hall in 1993 for their 25th Anniversary Tour. It was full of old people too, but they were all dressed in tweed jackets with leather elbow patches and suits. Maybe Tull always had a different demographic to Ride.
The support act was an Aussie band called Shiva & The Hazards. I'd never heard of them before, but they were really good, with a similar but unique sound. Maybe that was just the Dark & Stormy talking; best to get another one before the main act.
Taking my usual position right in front of the sound mixer (if you want the best sound in a gig, always, always stand right where the mixer is) and waited. As it drew closer, more and more people came onto the floor. I don't know what it is, but any time I go to a gig, guys taller than me decide they are going to come and stand in front of me. Why can't they just stand behind me? What gives?
RIDE were bloody awesome! They kicked off with Jump Jet, which is probably my favourite track on the new album. Although it didn't seem that the crowd was getting quite into it. It's a very dance-able track, and I basically didn't stop for the whole night. Take that, tall guy!! I'm going to annoy you from behind me with incessant shoegazing, and waving of arms!
They mixed up the songs well, although I was surprised that they only played 4 tracks off the new album, which I would've thought they'd want to be promoting seeing it just came out. They played a lot of tracks from Nowhere, their first full-length album. The crowd loved that; maybe a lot fo them hadn't heard the new album.
I was a little bummed they didn't play anything off Carnival of Light, my personal favourite, and honestly the best album they've released (It's in my all-time Top 5!)... I guess you can't please everyone though. But it was by no means a crap set.
All of the classics were played: Twisterella, Vapour Trail, and OX4. Their rendition of Drive Blind blew my mind — and probably everyone else's! It's handy to have a decent lighting rig to set the visual mood for that mad, psychedelic noise bit in the middle of that track. The best was left for last (obviously), with their encore set consisting of Polar Bear, Black Nite Crash (which was a bit of surprise, to be honest), Leave Them All Behind (which went totally OFF), and finished off with the track that started it all for me waaaaay back in 1990, Chelsea Girl.
Take me for a ride away from the places I have known,
If I stay around I'll just remember I'm alone,
— RIDE
It was definitely a bit of a trip down memory lane, and a memory of how much I love live music. There is something about feeling the music course through me, the sheer spectacle of the theatrics of it all. I felt I was in the space with my tribe, gathered together for a ritual of dance and ecstatic appreciation for artists who have devoted their lives to create music.
I've written before about how these simple moments can be more healing than any herb or therapy, how these moments fill our hearts with glee and release our souls from the mundanity of routine. Yes, it can be somewhat hedonistic sometimes; and yes we probably would be better if we could trigger these same moments of awe without external factors. But there is something incomplete about that idea. Perhaps it's the sense of a shared experience, like what happens in rituals and ceremonies...?
In any case, it was amazing to have done something I love so spontaneously, and without ever doubting or questioning my actions or desires. There was something deeply healing in that for me also.
I give the gig 📀📀📀📀 (they didn't play anything from Carnival of Light, after all 😉)
Take care, y'all 😊🙏🏽🎸
Here is the setlist from the gig...
