LIVE/ YVES KLEIN BLUE

@ the Old Museum

17/4/10

A chance for hundreds of 15-year-old girls to stare into the "dreamy" eyes of Michael Tomlinson.

Newcomers Last Dinosaurs kicked off this sell-out, all ages show wearing fake moustaches and joking, "Hey kids, we're your dads". Judging by the average age of the crowd this wasn't much of a stretch of the imagination.

Last Dinosaurs' sound is indie rock with healthy doses of The Wombats and Kasabian, and while they're clearly a talented bunch, they still sound like a band trying to find their own voice. Maybe this explains their lack of passion live. Although the young audience lapped it up, Last Dinosaurs' on-stage energy was largely extinct, with the bass player and guitarist hardly venturing out from behind their mic stands.

Singer/guitarist Sean Caskey stumbled through the start of 'Honolulu' after sculling a whole beer, egged on by the crowd. And the crowd, it must be said, was fanatical. The screaming teenagers prompted a friend to comment Last Dinosaurs were becoming "the Brisbane Jonas Brothers". In a fairly self-centered move singer Caskey decided to take advantage of the worshipping audience and stage dive... after the end of their set.

Cloud Control brought twice as much energy to the stage, joyously dancing every chance they got, but unfortunately only reaped half as much frenzied screaming as Last Dinosaurs.

Barefooted singers Alister Wright and Heidi Lenffer shared beautiful harmonies and rousing choruses in a set that showed off a rich catalogue of songs. Cloud Control showcased a range of styles, with dancier tunes reminiscent of Phoenix alongside songs such as the beautiful 'Gold Canary' seemingly channeling Fleet Foxes.

As Yves Klein Blue took to the stage it was clear they were amongst fans. When lead singer Michael Tomlinson said "The first thing we need you to do, to help us, ok... is to go fucking mental," the crowd obliged.

YKB made the most of the adoring audience, performing tracks 'Dinosaurs' and 'Summer Sheets' with polished musicianship, but also the kind of rock n roll swagger the songs demand.  Another treat for the fans was the premiere of new tracks, including the catchy 'She's Jesus', and the promise they'd return to the studio soon.

An impressive rendition of 'Walk On The Wild Side' gave the band a chance to introduce their younger fans to Lou Reed, who's clearly influenced the YKB sound. But what the fans were waiting for was 'Polka' and the band barely had to sing a word as the crowd erupted, hundreds of voices echoing in the cavernous venue, "People got a name for us, 'cause we escape the strain of the days".

You could feel the sinking dissapointment of several hundred girls when Tomlinson didn't get his gear off in his accoustic rendition of 'About the Future'. Instead they sang along every word in a moment that clearly humbled the singer. Cloud Control returned to the stage for a sing-a-long of 'Gettin' Wise' to end the night (see video below). Bubbles floated down from the ceiling, the crowd bounced and screamed, and YKB cemented their place as one live band not to miss.

Upside: A tight, fun set from Yves Klein Blue. Impressive performance from Cloud Control. 

Downside: I'm all for all-ages gigs, but at times it felt like a high school dance.

Crowd: Enthusiastic teenagers, with a scattering of more mature fans around the edges.