it's my (old) blog

by simon baird

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Middle East gig review



http://spoz.blogspot.com/2009/03/leader-cheetah-middle-east-live-ed.html

A blogger from Adelaide liked them:

They're a winter wonderland of snow softly falling on cedar, of crackling fires, hot cocoa, ridiculously romanticised children's books about squirrels, and you looking longingly into the tickling white cascade outside of your bedroom window as all the homeless in your neighbourhood get mauled to death by roaming packs of wolves. Yup, climate change sure is a bitch (and I never knew Townsville had it this bad!) but no one else has ever made it sound quite so beautiful. Think The Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver and Arcade Fire all coming together to sing Christmas carols. Imagine if Jim James from My Morning Jacket sung at your funeral. Picture Bat For Lashes, Jeff Buckley and Chris Isaac trapped in a glacier. They're the bluebird of happiness turning black with frostbite. They're that last red autumn leaf, clinging to the tree for dear life. They're ever so fragile, fleeting yet ever so forgiving to your ears. You only want more. You score this to any cinematic release and you'll be bursting into tears. I'm seeing a plastic bag dancing on the street, in a twirl of leaves.. and.. oh crap.. I think I've got something in my eye! *sniff* The Middle East leave me speechless, stammering, studdering and stupified. They shut me up completely.


CONCUR. :)

Click the link, there's more review and heaps of photos.

But actually I have something to say about The Middle East. It's about Rohin. Now he's the guy who isn't the lead singer. Jordan is apparently (I'm guessing) the main songwriter and sings vocals on Blood and so on. His voice is a delicate and beautiful one. But.. It's more of a low volume voice. It's perfect for quiet studio. In other words there's a chance that in some rock venues, especially bigger ones his voice might not have the capacity to blow your mind. Now he will probably get better with time. But here's the thing. Rohin is freakishly talented. He is a genuine rock superstar. He may have been born that way, I'm not sure. He can make your face melt quicker than cheese on a George Foreman grill. In a good way. A very, very good way. And he can do it with voice or his guitar (or a drum kit for that matter, but that's another story). But, (at least when I saw them at the Troubadour) he stayed kind of in the background. In fact he doesn't sing much at all except for some backup harmonies. He sang one line at full pelt I think in the darkest side and it was amazing. It made me want more. So anyway, my point? More cowbell.

Ps, did you notice the new drummer looks like Davey?

Pps, awesome sweater.

The Middle East essential links:

There are tour dates on the myspace page including (for any fellow Brisbane locals) 4th of June at the Old Museum.
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