Glass Animals set the scene early when they turned Hi-Fi Melbourne into an indoor jungle. The stage was decorated with palm trees, and the pure sight of them indicated that we were going to witness a show that would be difficult to forget. Bands should take note - if you want to create a tranquil environment and a venue with relaxed vibes, add palm trees on stage, it does wonders.
The thing that separates the experimental indie pop quartet as a live act from other bands is it's live sound. Their sound is smooth and almost liquid like . They achieve this by combining their instruments and electronica in the right doses. Throughout their entire set, Dave Bayley would croon his way through the tracks, but in the background their were a range of sounds occurring such as chime bars, synths, a range of electronic noises, and velvety drums - none of which took away from the frontmans voice. This has been key to the bands success. They're able to balance the various sounds without their tracks becoming messy; this is a true talent.
An obvious crowd favourite was 'Gooey'. Glass Animals seduced everyone with the hazy track, whilst the audience grooved continuously. The track was one of my favourites released last year and it was a true pleasure to see them perform it live. The solidness of the drums in 'Walla Walla' worked hand-in-hand with the palm trees to transport everyone to the jungle.
They also performed a cover of 'Love Lockdown' in the encore. I can confidently say that their rendition surpasses the original. If I could describe it for you, imagine the original spacey version, except Glass Animals bring sultry vocals, the soul of the jungle and more prominent drum sounds.
They were aesthetically beautiful both visually and musically. Glass Animals were seductive as they brought the sounds and essence of the jungle to Hi-Fi. It was magnificent to watch a band on-the-rise exhibit the confidence to not only hold the audience, but to capture them. I'm excited to see what they do next.
Glass Animals were supported by Billy Fox, and Grace.
