After a last-minute cancellation by the other support band, Sydney-based Vydamo ambled onto the stage just as the crowd were beginning to get restless. This dynamic five-piece lead by Jim Finn of dance-trio Art vs. Science instantly picked up the spirits of the crowd with their feel-good tunes and casual banter and introductions.
Crowd favourite ‘Gonna Make It’ had the whole room toe-tapping and humming along to the catchy pop beat, whereas the slower, nostalgic title-track of their recently released debut album Becoming Human had the whole room reminiscing before upbeat alt-rock ‘Let It Go’ surprised the crowd with loud backing vocals from backwards-bass-player Tom Finn.
With band members hailing from South Australia to Germany, the energy and the relaxed, optimistic nature of this band slowly began to thaw the frosty and quiet crowd.
Their constant swapping of instruments showed just how versatile and comfortable they are as performers, hand in hand with their infectious happiness and enigmatic stage presence.
After an almost-too-long interval, the highly-anticipated boys from Manchester wandered purposefully on stage as even more punters trickled into the venue, and kicked off their set with the eerie, synthy intensity of ‘Undrowned’ to loosen the crowd up again and warm up the ever-versatile vocal chords of front man Jonathan Higgs.
The haunting undertones of ‘Torso Of The Week’ were followed by the adrenalin-infused, pounding beats of ‘Qwerty Finger’ from the 2010 album Man Alive, as the slow build up and fluid multi-octave changes shook the crowd from their reveries.
The constant jumping from old tunes to new radio singles kept everyone on their toes, as the four-piece slid seamlessly from drum-driven, string instrument-backed ‘Duet’ into the next track of the same album, this year’s extraordinary release Arc.
‘Choice Mountain’ opened with an intriguingly serene pitter-patter of high-pitched, fizzy electric guitar, before giving way to synthy keyboards and melodious vocals.
Old favourite ‘Schoolin’’ showed off the creative yet completely perplexing mind of Higgs as confusing lyrical endeavours were lost in a delicious combination of guitar riffs, before the sound of electro-organic chords led into the contagiously energetic ‘Photoshop Handsome’.
Indie crowd-pleaser ‘Suffragette Suffragette’ gave bassist Jeremy Pritchard a golden opportunity to win the crowd over with his dark and heavy bass line, entwined with the twisted lead vocals of Higgs and moving backing harmonies of the remaining band members.
As the night grew long, the pace slowed down to match. Vocally spectacular and emotion drenched ‘The Peaks’ drew a curtain of silent appreciation around the room, as proclamations about the depressing, deteriorating state of the world, slow, saccharine guitar riffs and soft synthy background fuzz had the whole room holding its breath.
Taking another step back in time, ‘Tin (The Manhole)’ sounded like a magic-dusted mix of underwater elevator music and simplistic vocal prowess, underlined by the steady, pounding backbeat common to their debut album.
Thanking the crowd for making their first trip to Australia so memorable, Everything Everything dove straight into drum-based radio favourite ‘Cough Cough’, the single which slipped in at number 100 on last year’s Triple J’s Hottest 100 Countdown. The manic dancing, clapping and lyric-shouting continued into the final song of their set, the recent genre-defying hit ‘Kemosabe’.
Cheered back on by the usual rounds of clapping and chanting, the opening lyrics of ‘MY KZ, UR BF’ were almost lost behind the eager vocal participation of the majority of the crowd. The four-song encore was rounded off by the echoey brilliance of concert hall filler ‘Radiant’ and flawlessly performed ‘Don’t Try’.
Ending their performance with the same tune that ends their sophomore album, the energy of both the crowd and the band reached its utmost peak as the floor gave way to writhing dancers and blissful voices trying to add to the already impeccable harmonies of the entire band.
It’s not that often that you’ll find a band this intriguing, with every single member being blessed with both musical talent and incredibly smooth and versatile vocal ability.
Their pedantic commitment to colour coordination and uncanny ability to fill an entire room with an energetic, uplifting vibe is a combination which you’d be insane to miss next time they’re in the country.
