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SET LIST: Midnight Juggernauts @ Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

22 April 2013 | 1:49 pm | Tony Kingston

Here's what we thought of Midnight Juggernauts' Sydney show for their 'Ballad Of The War Machine' single tour!

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The first time I saw MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS perform was way back in 2006, when they supported GERLING at The Rev in Brisbane. After that particular gig,

I remember being convinced that I’d be seeing a lot more of them in the future. Seven years on and a break of over two years from touring, I was interested to see if they could provide the same intense show I had witnessed on a number of occasions in the past.

I wandered into the venue to hear my first taste of YESYOU, which was a really fun cover of HOT CHIP's 'One Life Stand' with female vocals. One of the band members mentioned that it was the second time they had ever played it live and it was so good that I think they should include it in their set permanently.

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Considering the quality live music Oxford Art Factory always has to offer in the side room known as The Gallery Bar, my friends and I decided to go on a bit of a mystery tour to check out the psychedelic rock band THE UPSKIRTS. This particular bar I'd probably rate as the best in Sydney to discover upcoming local talent. It's free entry, there's free popcorn and bands such as RUFUS, NEW NAVY, POLOGRAPHIA and many others, all began their careers by playing intimate live shows in this cozy venue.

The barefoot band THE UPSKIRTS, who reminded me a bit of TAME IMPALA, played some good numbers to an enthusiastic crowd including a sensational cover of KAVINSKY's 'Nightcall' from the 'Drive' soundtrack. The clock was creeping up to 10:30 so we decided to head back into the main room for MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS.

As the curtains opened up, a light round of applause took place and MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS began their set with 'HCL', a new song from their soon to be released third album. I must say, I wasn't instantly a fan but as it progressed I began to enjoy it more. Next up was their famous track 'Shadows', which reminded me a lot of seeing them play at festivals back in the day, especially their 2007 Splendour In The Grass performance.

“We've been hiding out for a while”, lead singer Vincent informs the audience. Following that, they drifted into 'Vital Signs' with some added electronic improvisation. The second half of the set was definitely a lot more enjoyable than the first half. Their new songs sounded terrific and it was great to hear some of their old classics again in a live setting such as 'Ending Of An Era' and 'This New Technology', which Vincent and Andrew swapped instruments for in typical JUGGERNAUTS fashion.

A special event in the evening soon occurred and a young gentleman walked on stage to tell everyone a story about how watching MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS in London inspired him and his current girlfriend to hook up for the first time. Following this, he started singing MARVIN GAYE's 'Lets Get It On' with the help of the band. He explains that was the way he felt after that particular gig. During the song, he invited the girl on stage and proposed to her, filling the entire room with smiles. She agreed and cheering and applause errupted with good vibes all around.

The band then continued their set with the popular 'Into The Galaxy', followed by the awesome 'Raised By Wolves' from their first self titled EP release. After a short break from the stage, they returned and commenced their encore with my personal favourite 'Road To Recovery' and finished off their show with 'So Many Frequencies'.

Overall, MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS played an entertaining set of new and old classic tracks, providing the perfect soundtrack for a Saturday night to a crowd made up of genuine fans. The only disappointment of the night was that the set list didn't include 'Tombstone', however, I was impressed by some of the new songs they played, which seem to be a better listen than anything off their 2010 release The Crystal Axis. If you're not already excited about their new album, now is the time to be.

After the conclusion of the main act of the night, we made a second visit to The Gallery Bar to check out SPOD's new band NAUGHTY RAPPERS, who were both talented and extremely humourous. One of them introduced a song by saying “This song is about masturbating, it relates to yourselves”, before SPOD energetically started throwing tissues into the audience, creating a ridiculously memorable moment. They also performed 'Rap Music', which I think I had previously heard at the Rice Is Nice record label party at The Annandale last year. Apparently it's about rap music.

It's nights like these which really cement what a great venue Oxford Art Factory actually is. It was amazing to be able to see four acts in the same location, which were all completely different and loads of fun in their own way. To MIDNIGHT JUGGERANUTS, YESYOU, THE UPSKIRTS and NAUGHTY RAPPERS, thank you for a fantastic night of live music!

MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS SETLIST:

juggers

Words by Tony Kingston.

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