Live Review: The Cairos, Tales In Space, Crêpes

There's a modest crowd out early to catch Crêpes. The youngsters play the most generic type of indie rock/slacker pop but put in a passable effort. This scribe can't help but feel sorry for them when close to the end of their set they're almost drowned out by a handful of overly vocal audience members.

The aforementioned crowd disperses quickly and does not reconvene for the start of Tales In Space's set, which is their loss. The Sydneysiders start their set with an explosive thud courtesy, for the most part, of their Korg bass; however, there isn't much change in the level of aural assault as they switch to a regular electric bass guitar. The really full sound works in their favour, as does their brand of indie pop/rock which, at times, carries faint echoes of Franz Ferdinand at their twitchy best, as evidenced on Holiday. Considering that they are playing to a less than full room, they put on an engaging set from start to, well, almost the finish. Their final song, Starwars, is somewhat of a letdown though, being a departure from the rest of their set in its relative tunelessness. The inclusion of the chorus lyrics/melody of Air's Sexy Boy does little to remedy this less-than-inspiring number.

Interest is piqued while watching The Cairos set up when a black mannequin torso is placed in front of the drums.  By the time they start their set, however, it appears to have been removed, which is a pity, as, with the benefit of hindsight, it proves to be one of the few interesting points of their show. The beginning of the band's set is far more subdued than that of Tales In Space and appears to set the bar for the remainder of their time onstage. The quartet are impressively tight, with all members keeping pace with some quick chord changes. It's just a pity that before long you realise that the same cannot be said for the vocals. Off notes and out-of-key harmonies are bountiful and prove to be more than distracting after a while. The Brisbanites are at their weakest with their slower moments although, thankfully, there are few of these. In terms of overall performance, The Cairos have been outdone by their East Coast tour mates, Tales In Space, which is great for Tales In Space, but not for the headline act.