Live Review: Gypsy & The Cat, Ah Trees, Oakland

Gypsy & The Cat's final stop on their national tour was a musical spectacle, with the eponymous band not failing to impress. With their artful usage of the synth and catchy song lyrics, backed by local indie stalwart bands Ah Trees and Oakland, punters really did have something to look forward to that night.

Ah Trees kicked off the night with knocked back, relaxed shoegaze. Bringing about pop-antics reminiscent of the '90s arthouse, the reverbed vocals of lead singer Ryan Adair really characterised the music that the band skilfully laid in front of the punters, bringing about a funky feel.

Oakland brought the music back down to earth with some straightforward indie-pop. Less abstract than the psychedelic shoegaze brought about by the Ah Trees, Oakland's sound played true to the classic, modern indie sound. With the punters getting up close and personal to see the band, it was obvious the group had a certain appeal as they smoothly glided through their set with classic, clean-toned guitars and addictive drum beats.

Gypsy & The Cat were welcomed onto the stage with great fervour. The average listener may have been only been aware of that one hit song Jona Vark — oddly catchy but pushed to the back of the mind as years have gone by. The band really solidified expectations of the group being a great synth band. For anyone only vaguely aware of the band's back catalogue, it was an opportunity to peel back the layers and check out what Gypsy & The Cat is all about. If you've ever wondered what the synth-pop answer to Carnival is, a Gypsy & The Cat gig is something close to that.

It was a massive, chaotic party with streaks of blinding colour; the group's set was energetically filled with pure synth-pop energy artfully illustrated with guitar riffs and drum rhythms. Featuring many new songs, the band sounded as consistent as ever. The close of the gig consisted of one massive rendition of Jona Vark, filled with chanting punters and a bouncing front row. The band generously finished with a double encore.