Written by Sean Sebastian
Photos by Daniel Hussey
If there was one word to describe The Jezabels’ sound, it would be dramatic. Anyone who has tuned into Triple J in the past months would no doubt recognise lead singer Hayley Mary’s shrill and frantic musings on love and self-defence, backed by driving drums and theatrical, pounding piano. The songs themselves swell and break as well as any operatic offering at Hamer Hall; particularly tracks like A Little Piece or their EP’s titular Dark Storm, and this all translates ridiculously well at one of their shows.
As the curtains at the Corner Hotel part, Heather Shannon sits placidly at her keyboard, Sam Lockwood stands straight-legged and grinning with his guitar and Nik Kaloper’s fit frame sits with authority at his drumkit. Then Mary, clad in tight, black leather pants stalks onto stage, her face painted in seriousness. She does well in separating herself from the band as she’s the only one who doesn’t really laugh or smile, least of all when Lockwood cracks a joke about their attempts at ‘big rock finishes’. That leaves a slightly sour taste on your tongue as The Jezabels could easily fall into a ‘laughable’ category without a sense of humour about themselves, and with Mary’s solemnity, they do straddle that line quite precariously.
Petty aesthetic squabbles aside, there’s no doubt they’re a tight band on stage; most notable is Kaloper for his madly energetic drum lines, particularly impressive is the tom-rattling Hurt Me. They pace their long tracks with masterful accuracy, making the climactic finishes an energising wall of sound that’s downright irresistible. Mary holds her shrill tunes perfectly and she does well in making herself heard over the reverberating piano and overdriven guitar. One of the more surprising aspects to the band is the almost anthemic quality their songs contain. As the instruments swelled and Mary crooned, more than half the audience threw their arms up and chorused, “I don’t care when you cry, I think self-pity is a state of mind”. It was mostly the twenty-something girls of all denominations who had their eyes closed, mouthing, “But she loves me, more than anyone who wouldn’t lay a hand”.
The Jezabels continue their emotionally energetic onslaught at Youthfest in Sydney on April 10.
| Support act, Ernest Ellis | ||
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The Jezabels | ||
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