Live Review: Pierce Brothers, Garrett Kato

The sign above The Forum reads ‘Pierce Brothers’ for the first time. Walk four blocks north and you’ll see the streets where they started busking, but tonight is about celebrating how far they’ve come. 

Garrett Kato opens with tracks including Arkansas, Sweet Jane and I’ll Be Around. He’s used to more intimate settings, but his soft vocals capture the audience and, to their delight, he mixes new song The River Mouth with Springsteen’s Dancing In The Dark. “I’ve got one more before the Pierce Brothers do some more exciting stuff,” Kato jokes. “Maybe they’ll do some jumps.”

Name a Melbourne stage and the Pierce Brothers – Pat and Jack – have played it. They burst into tonight’s performance with a high-energy rendition of Waiting. “We’re the Pierce Brothers,” says Jack, “and fuck man, we’re playing the Forum!” This is the biggest show they’ve put on and while it can be an intimidating space, Pierce Brothers could bring the house down at your nan’s funeral, tapping out a rhythm on her coffin as she was lowered into the ground. Trip Lovers, Juno and Black Dog follow.

“Who wants to fucking dance?” asks Jack, bringing out a didgeridoo for It’s My Fault. Though the crowd seem more intent on filming than dancing, this is when the brothers are at their best. Pat plays guitar like a man possessed as Jack attacks the drums with an almost primal rage. The crowd greets Amsterdam and The Records Were Ours with shouts, stomps and yelps.

The band - Harry Cook and Josh Barber - re-join for Back End Roads and Wasted before Blind Boys Run and crowd-favourite Genevieve. A love letter from Pat to John Butler follows, showcasing the brothers’ instrumental talents. These are reinforced on Golden Times, during which Jack plays didgeridoo in one hand and holds a harmonica for Pat in the other as he plays guitar. 

Pat now stands alone on stage. “I haven’t played this song live,” he says. “It’s difficult to play. I’ll leave it at that.” The foot-stompers are silenced. It’s a rendition of Hold On and it’s raw, heartfelt and utterly heartbreaking.

They close with Flying Home, a final reminder of the brothers’ ability to command a crowd. Are they technically perfect? No. Is that what we want? Not a chance. The only question remaining, really, is what comes after The Forum? Whatever it is, there’ll be a whole lot of yelping and foot stomping when they arrive.