Holy Holy (and GUESTS!) stormed The Triffid in Brisbane on Saturday night, serving up their classics and a couple of fresh cuts from their upcoming third record. To kick things off, local highlight San Mei jumped on stage to warm things up and show us a little of the upcoming Brisbane talent. I may not know what Heaven sounds like, but San Mei does, and she was more than happy to share it and some others songs from her latest EP. And have no fear her older tracks weren't neglected, with Until You Feel Good helping us all feel a little better indeed. San Mei delivered dreamy vocals and slick licks in equal balance, providing a great appetiser of what was to come from the rest of the evening.And she featured a tambourine. What more could you want? Oh, you did want more? Greedy.
Well, you are in luck, cause up next was CLEWS. Blasting in from Sydney, and all over the radio, sister's Lily and Grace have been cutting their way around Australia with their blistering tracks. This was my first time seeing CLEWS live, but, if I’m lucky, it won’t be the last. Fans and newcomers had a lot to appreciate, as the girls played music that for the most part, has not yet been released. Keep an ear out for the likes of New Age and Teeth if you are catching them at any upcoming lives shows, or on an EP, that I can only hope is not too far away.
Fresh single Crushed also got a spin, and so did their breakout Museum, which is pretty huge if you haven’t gotten around to giving it a listen (do it, do it now). The future is bright for CLEWS, but I think Tim from Holy Holy put it best when he said “Expect to see these guys in a stadium soon”. If CLEWS keep putting out tracks like Museum or Crushed, and having signed with UNIFIED early this year, I fully expect the same. “Gosh I can’t wait to see Holy Holy, should be a chill way to end a Saturday night.”
I was wrong. Holy Holy was anything but ‘chill’. And I was going to realise that pretty quickly. The boys walked onto the stage in the lowest of lights, to thunderous applause from the crowd behind me.
A quick g’day, a kick start from the drums and Tim was firing into You Cannot Call for Love like a Dog. Everything was going great and as expected. Then Oscar (from here referred to as ‘Guitar Jesus’) started on his guitar and it was then I realised how this night was not going to go at all how I anticipated.He wasn’t playing that guitar tonight, he was shredding it!
The strings on that guitar must have done something unspeakable to his family; because the way Guitar Jesus struck those wires meant he wanted them to suffer. I was sweating just watching him.
And that was just the first song, and he wasn’t going to slow down.
Still a little shaken from what I had just witnessed, it was time for That Message and Willow Tree. The crowd was moving now, suddenly awakened by the sound roaring through the room and the beaming stage lights. Which meant it was the perfect opportunity to treat us all to some new material. Fresh from the upcoming album was We Think. If you weren’t already excited for the new album, then just wait until this track drops.
The new music kept rolling with Faces, and when you have an act like CLEWS on tour with, you can’t just let them sit backstage. No, the girls were back to help provide the signature vocal hook on this head bopping track. Smoke machines went into overtime as Lily and Grace were wrapped in haunting fog. To bring it all home, Tim and Guitar Jesus busted out the big guns with True Lovers, arguably their most popular song to date. I thought the crowd around me was pretty hyped, but this song was all that was needed to send things into overdrive. And this is The Triffid. With a sold out, amped crowd.
So, when it came to an almost mandatory encore, adding in a bonus track alongside History and Elevator was a treat the crowd full deserved. And let me tell you, they appreciated it.
Take the opportunity to see Holy Holy, or if you are unlucky with some already sold out shows, keep an ear out. With the new album just around the corner, I’m sure Tim and Oscar will be on the road again. Maybe I will see you there.
Check out the tour dates below
