Live Review: Spin Off

Adelaide's Spin Off festival finally returned to the state after a few years off and organisers must be thrilled with the fact that it sold out, as well as the way that general punters took to it. Luckily it was held indoors as the evening rain could have really spoilt things. The undercover giant garage look of the main area had a surreal look about it earlier in the afternoon, but as it got darker outside, the bright stage shone out within the dark space. 

When Melbourne indie-pop singer G Flip launched into her set, the sound was not quite right with the kick drum punching out too much and the mids from the guitar mix and backing tapes not coming through enough. Still, her positive vibes shone through and the crowd warmed to her set as the quality of the mix improved. Her big hit, About You, drew a great reaction from the crowd. Her multi-instrumental skills also added an extra layer to her promising, if not perfect performance.

On the back of a lot of triple j love, Alex the Astronaut got a good reaction from the young crowd. Her conversational style of singing and straightforward brand of indie-rock made for a solid, if not spectacular performance, yet the response from her fanbase was still huge. Her easy-going crowd engagement didn't hurt, but whether or not her show translates well to a big stage is still up for debate.

Yorkshire's Yungblud were one of the only international acts on the line-up today and the quality immediately shone through. With the pumping loud set, his cross-genre style melding punk, rap and indie was tailor-made for festivals and his high energy, huge presence and great stage coverage made him a captivating act to watch. The set was the point at the which the festival kicked up a gear in professionalism, quality and overall impact.

Indie-punk act Skegss have mastered the act of being somewhat catchy but retaining a chilled out stage vibe that underscores their appeal to fans of slacker-punk. The strong hooks, however, allow for wider engagement and keeps them being reduced to a niche act. They would have been pleased with the fantastic and enthusiastic crowd reaction.

The absolute stand out of the show was Methyl Ethel. With fantastic arrangements, an airtight rhythm section and an exceptionally talented extended band, the Western Australian act showcased why they are perhaps in the top ten, if not the top five, acts in the country at the moment. The sublime, intelligent songwriting and the dreamy live sound was more and more mesmerising as the set wore on and whilst the crowd kicked into another gear for their hit single Ubu, they showed they have plenty of great tracks in their arsenal. The beautiful light show was also something to behold. Methyl Ethel's show was by far the performance of the night, no disrespect to The Wombats.

With her rich jazz vocals front and centre, Meg Mac's set slowed the pace down a bit, but the huge, dense sound was simply captivating. Her set stood out for the pristine, sonic quality and her massive voice rested on a tight but understated rhythm section. The harmonies with her back up singer were a special highlight throughout the set and the overall performance was one of the most professional of all the acts.

There is something genuine about The Smith Street Band that makes their live set very endearing. There is a sort of lo-fi punk element that grounds them, but at the same time draws in the crowd by making them more relatable. Either way, there was something hectic about their show which made them an ideal act to lead into The Wombats.

Despite mix problems right at the start, there was ample reason to see why British indie-rock giants The Wombats were chosen to headline Spin Off. The very popular act had the crowd singing along to their vast array of hits from the very start. Kicking things off with more recent single Cheetah Tongue, they rolled through a range of popular singles with Techno Fan sticking out with its catchy refrain, and fans loving Kill The Director and Lemon To A Knife Fight. The crowd enthusiasm was so pronounced, it actually combined with the mix creating a huge sonic buzz. Thankfully in recent years, they have brought another layer of variety with their new songs, venturing further from the stock standard British indie-pop for which they are known for, with the band on occasion breaking out of their classic guitar pop mould with rich synth. Still, their most popular hits Moving To New York and Let's Dance To Joy Division were always going to be the crowd pleasers that gave them the top billing.

The amount of known songs the band has at their disposal underscores why they play so frequently in Australian music festivals, even though this is something recently critiqued by music press here. At worst, they are a safe bet that works and while many punters would have liked to have seen a more unique headliner, Spin Off organisers needed to play it safe to ensure they sold out. The gamble paid off.

With the strong performances, fantastic crowd response and all tickets getting sold, hopefully, we can see Spin Off become an annual event and the annual highlight of the South Australian music festival calendar. One criticism could be the lack of hip hop and electronic acts, given the importance of those genres in this day and age, but it's understandable that organisers are limited in terms of budget and availability. Hopefully, we can see a more diverse line-up next year.