Opening the night was Melbourne locals SMILE. They received a positive reception from the crowd. Their set was mesmerising and it was easy to find yourself dazed out for a few moments, lost in their beautiful sounds. A highlight from their performance set ‘Blvd’. The thing I loved most about this track was the nostalgic vibes it evoked - it kind of transforms you to the set of a 90’s rom-com film, which I loved immensely.
The last time UK lads Peace were here was in 2013 where they played two shows at Northcote Social Club. In 2015 they return, this time to Melbourne’s iconic Ding Dong Lounge and now with a second LP under their belt.
They are welcomed to a roaring reception by their adoring fans. They launch straight into ‘Money’ from their most recently released LP Happy People. Their choice of this track as their opening song gave the crowd a sneak preview into what can expect when you see Peace live - hypnotic guitars, the silky vocals of frontman Harrison Koisser, and an audience ready to groove and party. Next up was ‘Follow Baby’ from their debut album In Love. The grunge-esque track was a favourite amongst long-serving Peace fans, since it was their first released single (back in 2012).
‘Lost On Me’, played in the middle of the set was a definite highlight. I can’t work out if it was the vivacious guitar riffs, the infectious hook or the summery vibes of the track (given it was a usual cold Melbourne’s day) that I loved the most. The track is not only a clear stand out on their most recent LP, it’s also magical to watch their perform as well. Another highlight was ‘Wraith’. In all honesty, even though I wouldn’t regard it as one of my favourites from their debut release, seeing them perform it live has convinced me otherwise. The track which is all about falling in love was presented in a fashion that was sultry and tantalising. The best part of their performance of this track by far was the group of six to eight guys who created a small circle pit in the middle of the mosh.
Despite the fact that half their set derived from their most recent LP and a small portion from their debut album, they managed to squeeze in a few covers. The first one was ‘1998’ by Binary Finary, and last ‘FourFiveSeconds’ by Rihanna. ‘FourFiveSeconds’, a song I usually find irritating - usually due to Rihanna’s straining vocals - was taken to another level by Harrison who showed the crowd how the song should be performed.
They returned for a much deserved encore, playing ‘Someday’, ‘Higher Than The Sun’, and ‘World Pleasure’.
A common complaint amongst the exiting crowd was how fast their set flew - which was only a credit to Peace who had everyone captivated from the moment they hit the stage, causing everyone to lose sense of time. I overheard many who enjoyed the show that much that they were going to return for the second show the following day. Overall Peace delivered a faultless show, and if you happened to go into their show not knowing a hell of a lot about Peace, you left addicted, craving more - just like me.
