Yea! Gwar! So the Laurels played a free show at the Oxford Art Factory last night. Unfortunately I couldn't be there due to work commitments (gay) but fortunately I was able to whip my colleague, Leia, into submission and thus persuade her to turn off the Doors, put down the reefer and go outside to do something productive. Thank God I did because I was this close to calling the good people at A&R and getting her white slacker ass on an episode of Intervention. But I digress; here's what she came up with. Thanks Leia!
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Ever since I was persuaded last year to attend one of their gigs at the late and beloved Hopetoun Hotel, I've been hooked on The Laurels. This psychedelic/shoegaze band are yet to disappoint, with their performance at the Oxford Art Factory as a support act for Mother & Son as impressive as ever. Opening with a personal favourite, 'Black Cathedral', they had a promising start. If you're a fan of psychedelic trips and distortion-heavy tracks, these guys are a must-see. Luke O'Farrell's powerful stage presence and Piers' entrancing vocals created their signature hazy vibe and made the already tight performance more worthwhile to watch. The remainder of their performance was solid, playing known tracks such as 'Glacier' and 'Soul Arising', proving once again that they are a must-see band. It's not just me who thinks so, either. The word is spreading. Having already supported acts such as Tame Impala and A Place To Bury Strangers, these guys are going places. So if you see them playing near you, drop everything and go see them!
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If, like Leia, you spend most of your time in a smoky haze, quietly losing your mind to the dulcet tones of Jim Morrison and watching repeat after repeat of Full House, you may not have realised that the weekend is rapidly approaching. And that (unsurprisingly, really) is to your detriment, you commie sonofabitch, because over the next couple of days there's approximately one metric shitload of things to do in this fair city. Tonight, if you weren't quick enough to get tickets to see The Drones there's the Hipster Doofus Party in Erskineville, the Heaps Decent fundraiser at GoodGood Small Club and I have it on good authority that there's a drag race happening somewhere in Bondi? Like, drag queens in a running race. Also, this and this.
