7 July 2012 - The Bamboos @ The Gov

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Parent Category: Culture

Category: Music

Created: Sunday, 08 July 2012 01:06

Saturday afternoon we were wondering what we would do that evening and whilst pottering around the house doing the weekly chores I came across an article that Rina had torn out of the Messenger last month. It was a simple statement: The Bamboos play Sat 7 July at the Gov.

Rina had heard them as a feature of ABC Dig Radio and thought they were cool A quick trip around the net and through Youtube and I realised why: They were indeed a very cool and funky band which, whilst I wasn't really aware of who they were I had heard their songs over the years and what I heard today was enough to make me want to see them live.

The Gov is an iconic music venue in Adelaide, situated on the western edge of the parklands across from the Entertainment Centre on Port Road. It is Iconic in that it has managed to survive as a music venue while others in Adelaide have been crushed by the increased urbanisation in their immediate vicinity. I've seen numerous bands there (some good, some not, and others brilliant) including 'The Cherry Poppin' Daddies', 'Soul Sistas', and 'The Beards', and many more. The venue hosts a range of genres and bands of various popularity and notoriety and for the most part is pretty cheap. It can also hold around 700 people so you can get a good sized crowd.

Tonight's show cost $35 at the door and we got the last two tickets.

After we got in we saw the schedule. 7:30-8:30 DJ, 8:30-9:15 The Transatlantics, 9:30-10:45 DJ, 10:45-12:15 The Bamboos. It was going to be a long night.

The Transatlantics took the stage late, which isn't so bad because it means less DJ before the main act. The Transatlantics are an Adelaide band inspired by 1950/60's Soul with 3 vocalists and a 7-piece band. They cover the small stage and dress the part. Their music is pretty decent but their performance kept us from truly enjoying ourselves. Quite a few of them seemed bored and distant which I find prevents a live show from achieving Awesome. It's quite a shame really because if you closed your eyes, you started to really dig their music and vibe. I would gladly see them again as I hope this performance was just one of those days for the band. They've got some of their tracks available on the website, so pop across and have a listen.

The Bamboos took the stage and they instantly set themselves apart from the Transatlantics. There was a vitality that had been sorely lacking earlier in the night. These were musicians who truly believed they had the best job in the world and it came through in each movement, note, chord and octave.

The band has been around since 2001 and has steadily grown and evolved to the current 9 piece format. The music is easily digested funk – upbeat, well orchestrated and excellently delivered.

When Lance Ferguson, the band leader and guitarist, starts playing there is an instant familiarity to his performance. You feel as though you've been here before and are glad to be back. Kylie Auldist, the lead vocalist, opens her mouth and immediately establishes an intimacy connection with the audience. The rest of the group all play their roles well and the room fills with warmth from their delivery. There isn't a moment of their performance that feels lacking or wanting for more, even when Kylie hands over the stage to Ella Thompson, the other vocalist, the pace and atmosphere continues unabated proving herself an excellent singer.

I went from having no idea about this band to fan within a matter of hours. I would heartily recommend that you check out their website to have a listen and check them out the next time they come through town.