Solace & The One Night Stands – Burn, 03.10.08

The end of a horrendous week at work and the lure of the couch was strong. But I managed to convince myself that instead of sleep, what I actually needed was an indie party at Burn. Alas, this turned out to be something of a misnomer, what with my favourite DJ inexplicably playing things like Rage Against The Machine (cool, but not very indie), and what seemed like 30 people bouncing around inside a cavernous club…not much of a party vibe. Although the guy vomiting at the bar seemed to be having a grand old time.

Solace was the opening act for the evening and I had never heard of them before so I was pretty keen to check them out. The first song was awful, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt as the sound was playing up and the mic wasn’t working properly. I will give them kudos for not letting that affect their raw enthusiasm on stage and their eager desire to get the ‘crowd’ involved. Alas, the second song was no better. Someone needs to teach the vocalist that the purpose of a mic is to amplify your voice…therefore yelling into the mic is not only unnecessary, but it makes things really unpleasant for those who are trying to watch you. There was certainly nothing indie about Solace, unless you go back to the origins of the word and assume they are signed to an independent label. There seemed to be some technical ability amongst the other band members but it was overshadowed by a very mediocre front woman. They reminded me of Ketamine - the same try-too-hard rock chick lead singer with questionable ability and instantly forgettable songs. We adjourned to the bar after the third song with bleeding ears and high hopes for the next band. And it didn’t seem like much of the audience stuck around for their full set either.

The One Night Stands have been burning up the 5fm High 5 at 5 with their single Seconds. Very indie, super catchy, instantly likeable. That song alone was what dragged me away from a big night in with the couch and a good book. By the time the band took to the stage I was a little desperate for something to redeem the evening. I wish I could say they were awesome and that they made the whole trip worthwhile. But they weren’t. They were…okay. The first song was a slow and rather melancholy affair - kind of The Cure after they’d smoked a few too many buttons. Perhaps not the right way to start a set if you want to rev up a rather meagre audience. They picked up the tempo after that but I could tell they’d already lost my partner in crime as she stood there looking cheated. I was determined to find something to like and in truth they’re a likeable band. You can definitely hear the 80’s influence their bio brags about - their sound is very The Cure meets Joy Division. But alas, with the exception of Seconds their songs just don’t seem to hook you and reel you in. The bait is there but the follow through seems to be lacking. Nonetheless, we had a little dance to their hit and a good giggle at the goth girls doing their weird pelvic thrusty thing in the front, so maybe it was worth forgoing the couch after all. Maybe not.