Live Review: Tigers Jaw, Horror My Friend

This will most likely be an unknown fact about the charmingly intimate venue that is the Crown & Anchor, but it's been an established hotel in the heart of Adelaide for over 160 years. It has a fascinating history that's just as flawed as it is enchanting. So it made perfect sense for this cherished landmark pub to play host to a remarkable event such as this to keep the blizzard-suffering South Australians (and Pennsylvanian visitors) warm from the harsh elements.

To warm up the audience, local post hardcore punk trio Dilettantes were more excited than the crowd themselves. That's probably the best way to describe this three-piece — "excitable". They were literally bursting at the seams at the opportunity that had been presented to them, taking the torch and running with it. With notable influences from Hot Water Music, early Title Fight and even a sense of urgency similar to underrated former Adelaide act Realist Few, it may have not been what the growing number of attendees were here to watch, but it was difficult to look away. It probably wasn't the best display the band have put on in their short existence, but the potential for a rising status in Australia is within their reach.

Much to the dismay of this writer, I hadn't been privy to Adelaide act Horror My Friend before this night and I assure you, I've been kicking myself since witnessing their talent. Landing somewhere between '90s grunge and an injection of shoegaze, the fuzz-rock sound these three men make is deafening in the most splendid of settings. Single Stay In was delightful and its execution in a live setting gave further evidence why the band are gaining national recognition, landing superb support slots and gaining radio play rivalling that of outfits known on a much grander scale. Although Horror My Friend have been around for a few years, in a sense it feels like this is their proper beginning, with the imminent release of their debut album. Sure their musical output may sit on a theme of hopelessness and sound rather bleak in nature, but the response for the trio from Adelaide on this night was far from that.

As Tigers Jaw took to the stage, the music enthusiasts inhabiting the Crown & Anchor outdid the available space suggesting, firstly, that the fan-base was somewhat underestimated for the venue size, an excellent outcome in hindsight, and secondly, a stable and clear viewpoint was very hard to come by. Still, it's settings like this that make for the most memorable shows. The Pennsylvanian duo of Brianna Collins and Ben Walsh have an undeniable and indescribable chemistry as musicians, only enhanced brilliantly in performance. With six members on stage (the pair fortunately bring along touring members, boosting the band's auditory and visual presence) the band treated Adelaide to an onslaught of emotional indie-pop-rock and it was spellbinding. The vocal exchange between Collins and Walsh was like witnessing a professional volleyball team with an incredible understanding of what each artist is expressing, without even having to look at one another. The heartfelt lyrics resonated unbelievably with the audience, who most of the time sang the band's words louder than the band themselves. This was more than understandable considering the magnificent setlist, which included The Sun, Cool, Between Your Band And The Other Band, Frame You, Test Pattern, Smile, Chemicals, Distress Signal, Slow Come On, Teen Rocket, Never Saw It Coming, I Was Never Your Boyfriend, Jet Alone, Nervous Kids, Two Worlds and Plane Vs. Tank Vs. Submarine, then to close, two of the clear crowd favourites in Charmer and Hum. It was an unforgettable finish to an adorably mesmerising show.

Sometimes the best things in life come from the smallest packages, but just as Tigers Jaw enlist more members for their live performances, next time they tour our fine nation, let's boost the "more" for them also. "More" people will result in bigger venues and then "more" music lovers will be converted by the impossibly incredible talent that is Tigers Jaw.