So it turns out that A doesn’t only stand for Alpine. It also stands for: Amazing, Absurd, Abstract and Addicting. To describe Alpine’s performance last night, you would need to somehow combine all those words into one, and then you may be quite close. To sum it up briefly, Alpine were sensational.
Unfortunately, thanks to the ever-reliable City Rail, I arrived just as opening act Georgi Kay played their final note; however, I have it on good authority that they rocked. After a selection of tunes from the resident OAF DJ’s, Melbourne’s new export Clubfeet took the stage. Powering through their tracks, Clubfeet provided the soundtrack to many lost childhoods, blasting out tunes from D.I.E. Yuppie Scum right through to Teenage Suicide. Unfortunately, the club-bangers, which were showcased on the stage, do not transfer well to the vinyl, with the studio recordings failing to do the tracks justice.
The lights dimmed and as Clubfeet left the stage the alcohol was flowing freely and the crowd anxiously awaited the arrival of the 2012 Indie-Popsters. Opening with Lovers 1 & 2, it was clear from the beginning that the live performance was going to be completely different from their debut album. The soft, funky melodies of Hands turned the floor of the Oxford Arts Factory into a dance floor, with PhDJ spotted getting his groove on. The band progressed through tracks from their album A is for Alpine with a similar effect occurring across the board. Tracks that on record sound both uplifting and relaxing turned into indie-rock songs, played with the same energy one would expect to find at a Soundwave Festival.
It was impossible to ignore the energy put into each individual track, and special mention must be made to the synchronised dance moves choreographed by both frontwomen. Consistently, both vocalists would add expansive amounts of vigour and animation into each number through the confluence of attention to detail, and admirable stage presence. The climax of the evening came in the form of the final three songs. The irresistible grooves of Gasoline left the crowd not only wanting more, but in the most joyous and positive mood. Transitioning into Seeing Red saw the flow of the evening take a detour, slowing things right down; however, with the final input the Melbourne six-piece blew the roof off the Oxford Arts Factory.
It was the track everyone was craving, and when the opening guitar chords chimed through the speakers, the crowd went wild. Putting the oogie into boogie, the explosive chorus of Villages was the clear highlight of the night, seeing the sea of spectators get their groove on. Returning for an encore of Icypoles, the true nature of Alpine became clear; they are not a band to be forgotten. A doesn’t only stand for Alpine: it stands for Awesome.
Alpine: Setlist – Oxford Arts Factory 31/8/2012
Lovers 1&2
Hands
The Vigour
Too Safe
Heartlove
Softsides
All For One
In The Wild
Gasoline
Seeing Red
Villages
Icypoles (Encore)
