Live Review: The Breeders, Hachiku

The Triffid is overrun with androgynous, thrift store looks that run the gamut of a group of people ready for a night with ‘90s alt-rock heroes, The Breeders.

First though, we are treated to the intricate sonic soundscape of Melbourne’s Hachiku. Whimsical bedroom-pop no doubt conceived in the land of dreams, the tracks translate to the real world with a sense of wonder and we’re positive Anika Ostendorf has scored a bunch of new fans tonight. 

Soon enough, the stage is set. The Deal twins stand centre and left, Josephine Wiggs is on the right and at the back, drummer Jim Macpherson. It’s the line-up that made Last Splash, their hit 1993 album. Kim Deal's iconic voice rings out. “Hi. We’re The Breeders. We’d like to play a few tunes for you this evening.” 

It’s a brand of music totally unique, atmospheric in its unorthodox structure, undeniable in its source. Sonically the elements of surf-rock have us lamenting that “summer is ready when you are” with thick sheets of distortion and lyrics that speak to those isolated, frustrated, and full of angst. 

Kim Deal is utterly charming, with a smile that doesn’t leave her face throughout the set. Classic sibling banter has her bickering with Kelley Deal in a way only sisters know how.

“You ready Kelley?”

“I’m laughing with you, not at you, Kim.”

“Mother says Kelley should sing a song.”

Cannonball is insanely infectious, all distorted vocals and meandering bass line. The mixture of sugary sweetness and lofty space on Drivin’ On 9 is complemented with Kelley and the crowd singing Carrie Bradley’s violin part hand-in-hand. Bubbles fill the room during the droney Invisible Man. New tracks fit seamlessly into the setlist, even the Wiggs-penned MetaGoth and its deconstructed nod to the likes of Joy Division and Bauhaus.

Some feedback issues plague the set, Kim Deal jokingly asks Wiggs if the popcorn is finally done in the microwave, but there are no complaints from the audience. It’s all part of the charm.

They close with Gigantic - the track Kurt Cobain famously hailed as the Pixies' best - and the ‘90s nostalgia kicks into overdrive. Back on stage for a one-two-three punch in the face of an encore, finishing with When I Was A Painter, one by one the band exits the stage, leaving only the ringing guitar distortion and pounding drums to remain. 

At the end of the night, two things remain certain. The importance of The Breeders cannot be understated and no one will ever be as cool as Kim Deal.