Live Review: Big Scary, Cub Sport

The pitch perfect falsettos of Cub Sport's lead man Tim Nelson were show-stealing - he found a way to push his vocals to their limits on just about every track

Donning above-waist, flared white (linen?) jeans, the guy had no problem standing out. The creative risks the young group took - epitomised in their performance of Kanye West's Ultralight Beam - brought a much-needed shake-up to the typical electro-pop group dynamic.

Equal parts light show, art show and live music extravaganza, Big Scary weren't afraid of overwhelming their sold-out crowd with their ambitiously adventurous set. We got our first song, Savior Add Vice, after a lengthy introduction sequence that included haunting orchestral music and whirly synth noises, with transitory static squeals and sudden blinding flashes popping up in between. This somewhat confusing and drawn-out introduction was made enjoyable by the engaging visuals that accompanied them.

From there, the Melbourne group provided relentless entertainment for their audience. White panels in the background lit up individually with every note Tom Iansek played on the keys during Double Darkness. Organism saw the band pause midway through the song and sit still in their allotted positions like statues as a monotone voice-over provided an 'intermission' that ended when the band exploded back into the track with newfound ferocity.

Unquestionably, the most popular addition to Big Scary's live show was their tenacious saxophonist Gus Rigby. When Over Matter came around he let rip an extended solo and worked the neck up and down rapidly to a huge applause. However, When Iansek and drummer/singer Jo Syme were left on stage alone they proved the core of this band is still within their reverb-soaked vocal harmonies, underscored by Symes' timely percussion rhythms.

An encore set gave devoted fans a huge treat, with the emotionally evocative Leaving Home and another old track Gladiator rounding out the night. Performing as a five-piece band fleshed out Big Scary's tracks to their full potential. What resulted was an amalgamation of well-crafted songs, both new and (very) old, mixed with uniquely customised lighting cues.