Live Review: The Basics, Jake & The Cowboys

The inside of the Fremantle Town Hall looks amazing. A rich and detailed old wooden room with an overhanging mezzanine and the sense the history could be told in every nook of the walls, it certainly sets a picturesque scene when a small squared stage is set under the down lights, centred and with instruments strewn across it. Jake & The Cowboys laid a solid opening to the night though the room fought them all the way. The crowd shuffled in and took its place against the walls leaving the Perth four-piece to battle against chronic reverberation from the hardwood floor. Still, the sharp dress beats of new single She Said along with a reinterpretation of TLC's Waterfalls saw them win over the room convincingly.

The Basics slipped through the crowd suited up, unannounced and practically unnoticed until they sat at their spots on stage. The slow winding acoustics dripped into a folk rebellion as Kris Schroeder, Tim Heath and Wally De Backer worked their way through the opening tracks of their most recent release in Whatever Happened To The Working Class? and A Coward's Prayer. Although the room engulfed the stage, the sound initially improved very little before finally sharpening up for Roundabout. The 'in the round' arrangement for the night worked magnificently with the band's charm and ease on stage. Between a bountiful setlist featuring the Paul Simon-esque sounds of Tunaomba Saidia and the stark and honest lyrics of Time Poor and Ashleigh Wakes, the band bantered and joked with each other and the crowd, furthering the unique feeling of the night, which De Backer himself perfectly summarised: "Hopefully tonight feels just like you're joining us in a rehearsal room, but, you know, a good rehearsal." 

The band selected a few choice cuts of covers to keep the jovial nature of the gig flowing; David Bowie's As The World Falls Down, and Roy Orbison's You Got It complete with impromptu Tom Waits-styled vocals got a spin. Though the gig was aiming for a rehearsal-like vibe, the band's performance was anything but. Soaring three-part harmonies immersed the cavernous room during Hey Rain and To Think Of You, bringing an instant silence to the dancing feet, and delivering a hair-raising, stunning live performance for all in attendance. One more stellar performance from The Basics before they go on a very, very long hiatus.