Augie March
Metro Theatre, Sydney

If Augie March’s surprise appearance at the apex of what Glen Richards likes to call “the pop culture urinal” with ‘One Crowded Hour’ was a rare outburst of impeccable taste by the record-buying public, tonight’s Sydney crowd appear determined to prove philistinism is alive and well. Drowning out the lovely Holly Throsby with obnoxious chatter and then yelling out for said number three songs in to the headliner’s set, they threaten to derail the set before it has begun. The early signs from the band are less than encouraging as well: ‘The Cold Acre’, the new single which lends its name to this tour, is heavier when played live, and frankly, less interesting.

Thankfully, it gets much, much better as the barren beauty of ‘Sunstroke House’ finally silences the crowd and a pair of songs – ‘Spring’ and ‘There Is No Such Place’ – from their debut long player, Sunset Studies, show Augie March are at their best when Richards’ nostalgic and literate lyricism is pushed to the forefront. Drummer David Williams keeps up a flow of jokes and fashion commentary throughout and Richards fumbles the lyrics to a certain poll-topping single. Following the Pogues-like stomp of ‘This Train Will Be Taking No Passengers’, the encores better even Weddings, Parties, Anything for freewheeling folk balladry. But for a band riding high on a song celebrating a single transcendent moment, it’s somewhat fitting that they are able to conjure up just enough flashes of intimacy and drunken Irish grandeur to ensure a somewhat chaotic night resonates for all the right reasons.

by Daniel Herborn