Goodgod is one of Sydney’s hidden live music gems; the stage is only a few inches off the ground, giving it a very intimate and special vibe. You know you are going to be seeing real music there. I hadn’t heard much about Opossum and they are still hidden from the prying eyes of Google so I went in with a fresh mind.
Kody, Michael and Bic settled into place with Bic on drums, Michael on bass and Kody on keyboard as they opened with Watchful Eye. I was immediately surprised with Bic being a tiny creature absolutely smashing it out on the drums. I have never seen a drummer feel every beat as if it were an extension of their own pulse. I was completely surprised because my knowledge of Bic Runga was that she had that song Sway back in the late nineties. There was no existence of an acoustic love songstress here tonight.
Between songs throughout the whole night there was little communication to the audience except for Kody repeating “Happy Mothers Day” a few times. I couldn’t interpret whether it was shyness or lack of enthusiasm towards the crowd.
After the second song, Kody and Bic changed places, which I thought was a damn shame because I could watch her play drums all night. But make no mistake, she is just as comfortable behind a keyboard as she is behind the drums, and Kody was just as impressive playing the drums. There was a little banter between the members, about not being able to hear vocals etc. They had an effortless chemistry with each other, as if they had been doing this together for years.
When they played Fly you really got to hear the vocals. Bic had been doing back up singing, but this song really got her to shine. Kody’s drumming was so intense that a piece of his drumstick splintered and flew into the crowd. The single Blue Meanies is so darn catchy and happy that it should surely be a radio favourite. The upcoming album Electric Hawaii is the kind of song that would sound great on vinyl or MP3; it has influences of psychedelic rock but with a more modern feel, kind of like music you think that you and your ageing hippy parents would happily listen to.
Inhaler Song has a slow, steady beat that Kody said is about the good old high school days. And it totally is. It sounds like the kind of song to which you would have done your first slow dance with the opposite sex back in year seven.
For the song Why Why Bic changed from keyboard to guitar. Is there anything she cant do?! Kody’s vocals are punchy and confident; I couldn’t really tell if he has showmanship potential as he was seated for the entire performance. This song has a fast funky beat that will be a hipster dance floor favourite. It’s even got my tired ass bopping along.
The last song was Cola Elixir. It has a cute harmonising intro before leading into a meatier fast beat with the tempo speeding up for a completely climatic finish. The end of the set was near but I didn’t want it to end. After not even an hour, I was craving more, eagerly waiting for the album to come out next month to get my fix.
