Published on spaceshipnews.com.au | 07.07.14
Friday July 4, 2014
Review by Charmaine de Souza
Photos by Hana Lee-Smith
Melbourne rockers Something for Kate packed the Astor Theatre with fans of all ages as they embarked on their monumental 20th Anniversary Tour in Perth on Friday night. Equipped with an impressive discography spanning two decades, the band treated the audience to an array of hits, B-sides and rarities, proving they are far from past their prime.
In lieu of an opening act, the night kicked off with a short film documenting the career of Something for Kate, starting from their humble beginnings in 1994. During this ten-minute short, the three members – Paul Dempsey, Stephanie Ashworth and Clint Hyndman – reminisced over shifting band ambitions, line-ups and hilarious hairstyles. The trio’s claim that they were difficult to categorise, being “too indie for mainstream radio but too mainstream for indie radio” rang true as fans from seemingly all walks of life excitedly filed into the theatre. The opener seemed to whet the audience’s appetite, and by the time the lights finally dimmed, they were more than ready for the show to begin.
The band was met with roaring applause as they hit the stage, with several people abandoning their seats and scrambling to GA at the mere sight of their silhouettes. They wasted no time in launching their fans straight into a blast from the past with hits taken from their 1996 EP …The Answer to Both Your Questions – ‘Subject to Change’ and ‘Picards Lament’.
It was clear from the get-go that these Melbournians wanted the night to be all about the music. They favoured substance over theatrics, with each member staying in their designated spots on stage for the majority of the show. That’s not to say that there wasn’t a little flair in the performance, as Dempsey and Ashworth brought their offstage chemistry to the forefront during ‘Seasick’, riffing off of each other like they were a part of some kind of beautiful, alternative tango. An honourable mention also goes to Hyndman, who stylishly flung drumsticks into the air without missing a beat.
The 2001 track ‘Jerry, Stand Up’ spurred on the first notable crowd sing-a-long of the night, with fans swaying and hanging on to every word dripping from Dempsey’s lips. After tearing through hits from the early days, the band capped off their first set with ‘Survival Expert’, taken from their latest album, Leave Your Soul to Science.
After a short intermission, Dempsey returned for solo renditions of ‘Back to You’ and B-side ‘All The Things That Aren’t Good About Scientology’. These stripped-back versions captivated the crowd, and served as a nice opener for the second set. Dempsey was soon reunited with the rest of the band as they tore through a plethora of hits like ‘Monsters’ and ‘Déjà Vu’ – which without a doubt received the biggest reaction of the night.
As the show drew to a close, Dempsey encouraged fans to stick around and hang out with the trio in the lobby, and the majority happily obliged. Ultimately, Something for Kate gave the audience everything could have wanted, with over 30 songs crammed into one epic three hour long show. It was undoubtedly every diehard fan’s wet dream.
http://www.spaceshipnews.com.au/live-review-something-kate-astor-theatre/
Charmaine de Souza 