Live Review: Vampire Weekend, Gang Of Youths

There's something familiar about Gang Of Youths; something a bit Bono, Hawkins, Hutchence and a big part of something The Killers. Their dance metal sound is laced with blues pop licks (“In my blue collar coat/We're not rich but we're not broke”), and they're all set for the arena circuit. Evangelists was an obvious crowd fave, but the rest of their set actually showed more promise. After holding the crowd with a hypnotic “I'm not afraid/I'm not afraid” repeat for what felt like 20 bars, the money shot, “I'm terrified”, was sweet relief.

There's not enough hype around Vampire Weekend. They've done things the traditional way, and are not so quietly building a career that will span decades. Especially if their substantial and squealing underage fan base is any indication. Their sound is a true fusion of everything that has come before, their musicianship and composition as unique as Ezra Koenig's melisma staccato vocal style, and they're just damn fun.

There's something very Tim Finn about Ezra, while Chris Baio's dancing and grin put Timberlake to shame. Rostam Batmanglij's production genius comes through on stage as clearly as it does on their albums and Chris Tomson's ability to switch between electronic and traditional drums seems innate. Despite the restrictions inherent in performing live, or perhaps because of it, the set seemed more varied in tone than their albums, with all of it LOUD.

They opened with Diane Young and played hit after hit with a small break for chatter between White Sky and Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa. There was a smattering of new tracks, including Step, Hannah Hunt, Unbelievers and Everlasting Arms. However there were also some classics like Horchata, California English, Cousins, Oxford Comma and a special treat for long-time fans with the never released on an album Boston (Ladies Of Cambridge). 

Perhaps it was just end of tour fatigue but their farewell was ominous, telling the crowd they don't know when they'll be back on our shores. Before tears could flow Ezra quickly wished everyone a safe and healthy Australia Day.

Having toured here so often, and earned support so early, surely we can claim Vampire Weekend as ours? At least partly? Lyrics like “Half of me is the gasoline/But the other half is the sea” are just as Australian as they are American. Our Ezra will surely bring the lads back soon. Won't he?