Little Lovers, Nova Scotia @ Rics (25.5.07)

First live review!!

This past Friday evening I, Cam, did something very unusual for someone who frequents the Brisbane live music scene; I went to Ric's Bar to see some bands. But not just any bands, oh no, I went to see a band that almost never plays at said establishment. I went to see The Little Lovers.

So yeah, The Little Lovers seem to play Ric's about once a fortnight. However, that's no bad thing at all because they ARE one of Brisbane's best bands, and Ric's IS a lovely little (free) venue. Better yet, they were being supported by a really cool new band that I had yet to see, Nova Scotia. If you're not aware, Nova Scotia features (ex) members of a lot of awesome local bands, amongst them Toadracer (one of the most underrated Brisbane groups from the last few years), Eat Laser Scumbag, The Sips and more. Judging by the songs available from their myspace I was expecting this band to deliver a lot, especially for one so young, but they definitely delivered. They were tight, energetic, melodic (most important) and managed kept things moving along at a good pace throughout the gig, despite some issues with new guitars and broken strings. Their songs are simple and catchy while still managing to consist of more than just two chords and a (misplaced) attitude, unlike too many bands in this city. As can be expected from their lineage, they definitely sound very 'Brisbane indie-rock', ie: big, fast drums and guitars, with synth lines cutting through the songs alongside jangly Fender guitar solos. About the only negative to their show was that the room was pretty empty for a Friday night at Ric's.

In the time between Nova Scotia and The Little Lovers, however, the room filled right up. It's a well known fact* that even if you see tLL's on a bad night you're still in for a good show, and this night proved that point beyond a doubt. Guitarist Wintah seemed to completely forget every second riff he tried to play, and spent most of the night following the other two members for cues (which is somewhat funny when you consider that their bassist, Dan, has only been in the band for a few short months). Furthermore, from where I was standing (right next to the 'main' doorway) I could barely hear Dan's bass, except for when everything else cut out. Despite this, it's pretty safe to say that everyone in the room had a great time. The Little Lovers are owners of some of the best pop songs going around Brisbane right now, so it takes more than a bit of sloppiness to ruin one of their shows (hell, would you really want these songs to be played note perfectly?). It won't go down as their most triumphant show ever, but who cares? It was still highly enjoyable.

A note for Sydney readers: The Little Lovers will be the stage of The Hopetoun on June 1st. They're playing with David McCormack & The Polaroids and Beachfield (the new band from Custand member Glenn Thompson). Go along!

In addition to that, both bands have shows in Brisbane coming up in the near future. Check out their myspace sites for dates and songs (non-downloadable, unfortunately).
Nova Scotia - June 16 @ Alley Bar
The Little Lovers - May 31 @ The Tivoli (supporting Cold War Kids) and then various dates throughout June and July (including another show at Ric's!).


Ps: Not every review will be this glowing.


* it totally is.