This show was the first all ages show that Closure In Moscow have played since being back in Melbourne, and it was no surprise that it sold out. Organised by The Push, a non-profit entertainment organisation that focuses on events for young people, the gig took place in Melbourne’s ACDC Lane. And despite some light rain, that didn’t stop everyone from having a good time.

I missed the first band, Girl vs Ghost, due to my train being delayed and that bummed me out a bit. They’re a female fronted rock band from Ballarat that have a lot of potential, so keep an eye on them. If you like VersaEmerge, you’ll probably really enjoy them.

First band I saw for the day was Secrets In Scale who also happened to open for Closure In Moscow at their show back in January at Plastic. These guys were great last time, and this time they were even better. They opened with an interesting monkey song, with a special appearance from Chris DeCinque of Closure In Moscow, that basically involved making monkey noises over instrumental music, and the crowd weren’t really sure if it was meant to be funny or a weird experimental thing. At the end of the song however, the Secrets In Scale singer thanked us for letting them do that song because it’s heaps of fun for them. It was also great to see Matthew Wright, best known as the singer of now disbanded The Getaway Plan, who was playing bass. I don’t know if he’s a permanent member or just playing a one off show with Secrets In Scale, but it was great to see him back in “the scene” regardless. As a trio, Secrets In Scale sound was very full and their songs were solid, everything sounded perfect. Their songs are not only great, but also extremely interesting to watch and listen because there’s so much going on and so much to look out for. They remind me a lot of The Fall Of Troy. This band is extremely talented and I can’t wait to hear an album from them but for now you can download their EP for free from here.

Next band on the bill, Skye Harbour, were a lot different to what I was expecting. Whatever I was expecting, it was not electro-pop. These guys write electro-pop songs with bass lines that melted the heart of the bassist in me and piano parts that remind me of movies from the 80’s. Their songs were well structured and each song stood well on its own. I was really, really impressed and am definitely seeing them whenever I can. Not that everyone else wasn’t fun, but these guys were definitely the party band on the bill. They had a good energy and the crowd was definitely into it. The vocalist has a great tonality to his voice, I would love to see him extend his range more though. There was a key change or two in their songs, and they were used well to add variety to their songs. Skye Harbour are a band definitely a band worth checking out, so lurk their myspace and listen to a few songs.

And the band that everyone was so eagerly waiting for, Closure In Moscow. They burst into their set with “Vanguard” and the hectic song set the crowd off. This song was very tight and a great opener. Notably absent was bassist Brad Kimber, who singer Chris DeCinque later announced had been arrested for “war crimes”. Filling in on bass for Closure was the singer of Secrets in Scale. I think he did a great job covering the bass parts and had a great vibe with the band. Another song off their debut album First Temple and then it was time for some old songs. First up was “We Want Guarantees Not Hunger Pains” and no matter how many times I see this song live, I’m always mesmerised by drummer Beau McKee. He continues to be the standout musician in the band for me. Beau is also extremely fun to watch when he’s playing because he makes the funniest faces. On “Here’s To Entropy” the call-and-respond like chorus between Chris and guitarist/vocalist Manny Zennelli were as great as ever. “Breathing Underwater” got a great response from the crowd as they went mad, dancing around and singing along. Closure In Moscow then ended their 9 song set with “Sweet#Hart” and left the crowd wanting more. The crowd demanded and encore and I think the band wanted to give them one, but talking to Manny after the show, he explained that the were playing without Brad on bass and that even though he was a great, the Secrets In Scale singer didn’t know any of the other Closure songs on bass. I was pretty disappointed the last time I saw Closure, but this time they were much much better. The songs were a lot tighter and everything sounded more right. There were a few songs in the middle of the set however, where I felt like Chris was a little pitchy with his vocals. But you could be forgiven if you didn’t notice it because you were so distracted by Chris’ stage antics. Chris transforms into a different person in stage and today was no different. He danced like he was being shot at, continuously ate at his mic chord and licked and grinded the pole that held the tent up. I felt a bit violated being that close to the stage. Manny’s performance was a lot better than the last time I saw him. He was pretty much pitch perfect on his parts and nailed the guitar lines. Guitarist Michael Barrett was nicely tucked away in his corner and was just a mess of hair for most of the set. He seems content to do what he does and lets Chris and Manny entertain the crowd, but I wished to see a little more of him during the show. Overall, Closure gave a great performance and I can’t wait to see them on their national tour before they head back to the States for a stint on the Vans Warped Tour.

SETLIST:
Vanguard
Night At The Spleen
We Want Guarantees
Here’s To Entropy
Kissing Cousins
Breathing Underwater
Reindeer Age
Prog Intro
Sweethart

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