Live Review: Last Dinosaurs

Brisbane’s own Last Dinosaurs are hitting the road again after the great success of the band’s Wellness tour late last year and releasing their sophomore record of the same title.

This time, the four-piece are hitting a bunch of ‘club capacity’ venues on their Miracle Methods tour. Having already visited Adelaide on the tour, Brisbane is up next, and what better way to impress your hometown than by selling out tickets as fast as hot chips at the corner shop on a Sunday afternoon?

The Foundry, a venue that has Brisbane bands swarming to play at with its local music nostalgia and warm, welcoming nature, becomes absolutely chockas by 11pm. Even standing at the back is no longer an easy viewing option, as the narrow venue and smooshed in bodies make it almost impossible to see, forcing everyone to get among the masses. Perhaps this was what The Foundry was going for here.

The lights go dim and the crowd becomes restless; Last Dinosaurs emerge and squeeze onto their tiny stage, not unlike the crowd into their mosh. In fact, the stage is probably made even smaller by the array of elaborate gear and that extra member they’ve got up there. Local producer extraordinaire, Charles Murdoch, helps out his mates on synth, tambourine and other assorted instruments, bringing a perfect fifth dimension to the fellas’ live set. Not to mention Murdoch becomes an extra target for humorous banter from bassist Michael Sloane throughout the set, pointing out Murdoch’s musical contribution before each song.

The Dinos play out a balanced set, spanning from old to new. Set favourites include Weekend, Wurl and I Can’t Decide, executed with precision in a tight set. They even throw in a real oldie with Honolulu. With minimal slow songs released by the band, the set maintains optimal happy vibes, making it hard to hold back from breaking down in groove for the entire set, even if you are stuck at the back of the room. The groove hits its absolute limit at the end of the set, as the band play out the night’s show with Evie and Andy, making singer Sean Caskey’s vocals hard to hear over the deafening ‘woo’s and singing from the crowd.