live @ Chapel off Chapel

concert review

by Lisa McGuire

Saturday January 21st 2006 – Midsumma Festival

In the searing heat of a Melbourne January evening the city’s biggest GLB&T community arts festival known as Midsumma Festival got underway in various parts of a town in a total summer meltdown. The festival has run for close to 20 years and has showcased the talents of many of the country’s most alternative artists across a myriad of mediums and genres. It was in this context that I was invited along to see Amarevois, a Melbourne based songwriter/performer in concert at one of the most famous venues in town, a converted church in one of the most fashionable suburbs of Melbourne, known as ‘The Chapel’ or ‘Chapel off Chapel’ (perhaps in a loose Broadway reference?).

Upon reading the blurb which went: “Cybertrance opera. Ethereal Funk. Gothic Jazz. An ambient landscape imbued with classical elements and a compelling, menacing depth”, I felt like I was in for a dark ride and I braced myself for a night of depressing and/or dissonant dirges and ordered another drink with a chaser.

In a slight moment of confusion whilst standing at the door waiting to go in, I realised that she was in fact performing at the smaller room opposite the main theatre known as ‘The Loft’. I almost missed the beginning of the show. About 100 people were jammed into the theatre, which was an intimate affair with tables and candles and the fans (ceiling type!) were going full tilt to combat the uncomfortably humid atmosphere. It was like being in a mosh pit with no one moving.

The band came on stage right on time and opened with one of only two tracks of Amarevois’ that I’d heard before; ‘Whispers from the Ashen Road’ which was a slow pulsating affair that felt like a tide going in and out and reminded me of early David Bowie. Amarevois’ vocals went from soaring angel, to cynical growl, to operatic ecstasy in the space of the first minute and I was intrigued. Robert Bell on drums & percussion was both incredibly dynamic and sensitive and yes, a little menacing in his groove.

Sitting at the piano under the punishing lights, Amarevois wiped away the sweat and launched into the three part epic ‘An Undermining’ which featured the backing vocals of some eerie angels, thanks to some sound mangling by front of house engineer Ben Sibson. It sounded ‘other worldly’ to say the least. In fact, I’d already forgotten the incident in the car park, my job, my mortgage – I was in a new world. The world, apparently, of Gothic Jazz. It was like a dark hot hallucination (or was that simply the heat taking it’s toll on my brain?). Next was the sad and euphoric R&B number ‘Rising’, which was reminiscent of Prince in his falsetto days and then she stepped out from behind the piano and took up her guitar.

The massive black flares and the bouffant hair came at us and the audience almost moved back a whole row from the force of the first raunchy chord in the heavy blues rock of ‘The One’, followed by the even bluesier break up song ‘Sentimental Parting’ in which Amarevois showed off some stunning guitar work. I’ve not seen a female guitarist like her, anywhere, ever.

Thoroughly rocked out, (which was all the weirder because we were sitting down) we went back to the piano, and on came the frenetic jazz/rock of ‘Desert Amaranth’ and the frantic, mad-paced ‘Now or Never’ which seemed to go on and on trading blistering solos over Clint Quan’s manic bass lines until it fell off the musical cliff and sent the people clapping and wooing wildly. It was the first track where Clint seemed to have to make much effort, he was clearly such a good player and a cool customer in his pinstripes, he just need to try very hard. Mostly he sat on his stool and loved every minute of it, or seemed to, at any rate – eyes closed, zoned out, or in – I couldn’t tell which. Rob too, would close his eyes and just be carried away. I tried it, but it was too full on. I didn’t know where I was. Oh yes, The Loft. Ahem.

Another switch to guitar and Amarevois was clearly enjoying herself too, though she was trying vainly to keep the sweat from her eyes and her hands so that she could play. There followed the beautiful soft melodic rock of ‘Burning the Temples’ and the divine ‘Shine it On’ which seemed to have a strangely peaceful effect on the crowd. Josh Hyde played some mesmerising saxophone and flute lines (though not at the same time!) and really filled out the sound with some supporting keyboards as well throughout the night.

The last song was the anthemic “Possible Peaceful’ which would not have been out of place at a massive stadium, and I dare say that if OH&S regulations didn’t prohibit it, people would have got out their lighters for this one. A fantastic performer, Amarevois prowls the stage and delivers with real showmanship, taunting the audience with both her playing and her classic rock poses.

It would’ve been fine to end there, but they came back (well Amarevois was the only one to leave the stage!) for an encore. ‘Free’ which was the other track I’d heard before in it’s electronic form, a euphoric breakbeat track that Amarevois released with Scrambler which had been a dance floor hit in Europe & the US a few years ago. The ‘proper’ track had been one of my favourites for ages and I was dubious about it being attempted by an actual band, but they really made it work, with the real track kicking in during the breakdowns and complex vocal edits, it turned out be a great blend of live band and electronic samples. The rising opera vocal that she did at the end sent chills up my spine, though it did nothing to alleviate the sweltering heat of the night.

I thought that this was a great show and I have no idea why it wasn’t in the main theatre. It was definitely the highlight of the whole festival as far as I was concerned, and judging by the faces on the people as they emerged from it, the same might have gone for them. Simply magical. Roll on Midsumma!