About 100 people gathered within the cavernous Hi-Fi to witness Black Cab’s first show in Queensland on Saturday (July 17).

Attendance isn’t helped by the Super Wild Horses show held across town, but those of us who opt for their brand of moody, blues-tinged dark rock are treated to a memorable Brisbane debut. The band enter to the eerie, circular synth pattern of ‘Dresden Dynamo’, triggered by Steve Law, whose shirt advertises the band’s 2004 album, Altamont Diary. Flanked by bassist Tone Paine – a Brisbane local – and two guitarists in James Lee and Alex Jarvis, drummer Rich Andrew eases into ‘Church In Berlin’, the opener from last year’s AMP-nominated Call Signs. Whether through nerves or a desire to let these songs speak for themselves, frontman Andrew Coates is circumspect between songs. His lengthiest statement is before ‘Ghost Anthems’, where he jokes that, “This song’s usually sung by a diminutive singer”, a reference to Died Pretty’s Ron Peno, who sings it on the album and regularly accompanies the band live.

Recent between-album single ‘Sexy Polizei’ is injected with a sense of urgency that evades the recorded product, mostly due to the live drumming, and Coates’ vocals, which are much warmer than the distant, disembodied treatment favoured in the studio. An incandescent take on ‘Hearts On Fire’ from 2006 LP Jesus East, concludes the set, before the band sheepishly return for an encore. They indulge in a pair of linked covers: ‘Sister Ray’ by The Velvet Underground, which was covered by Joy Division, and that band’s ‘Transmission’. For the latter, the band appear somewhat uneasy – Rich Andrews drops a beat – until Coates taps into a remarkable Ian Curtis vibe halfway through, ending the set on a high.

I speak briefly with James Lee after the set, who says he’s thrilled they’ve broken their Brisbane drought. So are we.

by Andrew McMillen

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