Because of Ghosts

Two well-dressed men approach the Gaelic Theatre tonight, minutes before the first act takes the stage. “What kind of band is it?” They ask the security guard, hands on wallets, necks dodging to peek inside. The guard relays the question to the ticket clerk, who responds vaguely with, “Umm, mood music?” “It’s mood music,” the guard repeats. There’s a moment of trepidation before the men wander away, supposing an exploration of ‘mood’ a bit tame for a Friday night’s revelry.

In Sydney, people sit at Because of Ghosts shows. Tonight there was a stretch of basking punters spread across the ground, hoisted by their elbows, joining the instrumental trio on their perennial drift. It’s a journey that doesn’t ever lead anywhere, and a good level of audience acquiescence is required for it to take effect. Even on occasion when the volume increases it can take you by surprise, because at Because of Ghosts shows eyes glaze over and limbs buckle. Tonight, with a set mostly comprising the new and the obscure, you wonder what might happen if Because of Ghosts were to adopt the approach of the Canadian post-rock groups they will soon rub shoulders with – the searing, ever-imminent explosion after the crescendo. There’s an odd tension with Because of Ghosts because they often veto that instinct to reach a conclusion. Their music just drops away, and reverent applause fills the void.

If their lulling drift never ends up taking us anywhere, why would anyone want to join it? Can you blame Sydney for only half-filling the Gaelic tonight? After all, this music is staunchly peripheral. It eschews the tumultuous back-and-forth of post-rock and plants emotions and images instead. It’s heady stuff for a rock venue, but Because of Ghosts succeed because this is their own and the crowd knows it. It’s sad then, that we won’t see them again for quite some time.

by Shaun Prescott