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Thalia Zadek + The Devastations, King Daddy Grace Emily, Wed 3 Aug  By
the end of the long night of great music, it seemed fitting that Thalia
Zadek played Leonard Cohen's Weill-inspired Dance Me To The End
of Love to close her encore in the wee hours of Thursday morning.
Fitting, somehow, but not indicative of her misfit dirge like rock,
which is given forlorn flight by the viola of Dave Curry and usurped
by surprising bursts from drummer Daniel Coughlin. Zadek's gritty vocal bears an inescapable (and favourable) comparison with that of Marianne Faithfull, but her appearance - and oeuvre - could not be more different. Tiny, in an oversized suit, a mop of black hair and playing an old electric guitar, Zadek fronted alterno-grunge group Come in the nineties and many fans from that era were present in the fair-to-middling crowd. Many remained until that final song, through both harsh passages and atmospheric gutter to the stars type moments, and there were calls for more. The ambience was set from the start, with the viola looping subtle squalls as the instrument sat leaned against the amp wailing a while between the band tuning up and walking onstage. After opening with Shit, songs like Brother set an uneasy tone: and they just got better from there. Gravel voices bracketed the nights music, with drummer Pange taking on vocals for a some later songs in King Daddy's set, leaving Nazz to hand claps and dance moves for a couple. This is the first time I have seen the enduring local quartet with Jim Redgate on guitar and it is a beautiful thing, as the group to continue to mine the depths of their steamy swamp. An inordinately long break and Melbourne's The Devastations built up some anticipation, lead by the imposing poses of frontman/bassist Conrad Standish, coloured by the marvellous piano/organ tapping of Kieran Box. Their bruised ballads as often as not turned into rising crescendos and humping rhythms, the fey singing offering a different kind of vulnerability than Zadek's. Unabashed love songs and fragile honesty, such as in Terrified, made up their lengthy set. The Devastations are returning in October for their album launch, and I suggest if you have ever had more than a passing interest in that Melbourne aesthetic which has produced everything from the Birthday Party to the Paradise Motel get along and see them: you won't be disappointed.  |
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