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hi all - long time listener, first time caller.
I too travelled interstate for the Livid gig. I agree it wasn't exactly spectacular. Evidently I (and some of you, by the looks of it) had pre-imagined the gig would be something extra special, given: a) the prestigious venue; and b) the length of time since last public appearance (ie 4 years!).
When we got a fairly regular 47 minutes of Avalanches, we were a bit disheartened, even though in a different context/time/place, we would have been absolutely satiated, and had a blast.
HOWEVER: to those few saying they feel cheated, ripped off, or whatever - that shit just don't hold water, folks. You can't blame someone else if you're not even sure you saw the group you came to see perform! I can't even really fathom that scenario.
The Avalanches, in my opinion, are so deeply misunderstood/misrepresented by the industry, the media, sometimes thier label... and even their own fans. They have always been anti-hype. To avoid a grandoise introduction to their set is completely their style.
When Robbie and Tony came on stage, I overheard a punter say, "Who are these guys? They must just be doing a bit before The Avalanches." So, I concede that the majority of people have no idea what the band looks like, but I would have thought if you visit this forum, you've at least seen pictures of the members. If you're anticipating a hyped-up, blinged-up hip-hop-looking crew to come on stage, or a trendy, fashionable-looking dance music posse (a-la several other Modular acts), then you're misguided.
Darren's absence was a little saddening given that (according to Rolling Stone) he and his wife now live in Sydney. I can only assume that they were elsewhere, possibly rehearsing for the Seltmann/Blasko/Throsby tour that starts in a couple of weeks. He's also got a 1-year-old child for fuck's sake. Fingers crossed he's around when the real publicity for their upcoming stuff starts.
As for the set itself - it was good with occasional flashes of brilliance, like the Pixies part already mentioned. They played Panda Bear, Jane's Addiction, Justice, Rogers&Hammerstein, Franz Ferdinand, Notorious BIG, The Broads, some other novelty records. And Salt'N'Pepa. What's wrong with Salt'n'Pepa? Too cliche? Ironic? Cool? Not cool enough? To the person complaining: that section of the mix was recycled from the gig they did at Splendour a few years ago - the very same set that has taken on seemingly legendary status on this board and in other places. That night WAS ridiculously fun ... see how context and expectation can change your perception of essentially identical material? Granted, the Opera House Studio was a strange room with a strange mix of audience. NB: the version of Around The World was actually a bootleg 'disco' cover version, that came out in 2009. I'd never heard it before, but a quick bit of googling helped out with the details just now.
For the technically inclined, they had two CDJs and two turntables. They seemed to use mostly CDs with occasional records. Yeah, Tony did only a few sections and consequently seemed kinda auxiliary. The other turntbales to the left were (evidently) Andee Frost's.
He's the guy that came on when they were finished, in a crazy pink jacket. I agree, a lot of people there assumed he *was* The Avalanches. A 'crazy' looking guy hamming it up a little in an outrageous pink jacket. Down the front a bunch of girls were calling for Frontier Psychiatrist over and over. I'm only guessing here, but I doubt that either he or The Avalanches would take requests, especially for their own songs.
That said, to those debating whether they ever include their own stuff in DJ sets, I've heard Electricty, Since I Left You, Tonight, Radio, Frontier, Hearts in 3/4, and A Different Feeling, used on various occasions. At VIVID, they did include the hook from Since I Left You toward the end. Buy they've made no secret in interviews (going back a few years now) that they're not exactly 'fond' of Frontier Psychatrist any more.
And so back to my original, ranting point: The Avalanches seem to me, to be misunderstood. I don't know what audiences imagine them to be, but whatever it is, they're not that. I realise this has probably come off as some sort of uber-indie-snob "oh, i'm superior, you just don't get it, I'm so down and cool!!!" sermon/rant delivered from on high, but it's not that. I just get frustrated when the obvious talent these guys have is overshadowed, particularly by JJJ/Modular devotees and their expectations of The Avalanches to be these wild, techno-party throwing mash-up dudes, more akin to, say, 2ManyDJs. Have you not heard the Concretes remix? the Belle and Sebastian remix? "Tonight May Have to Last Me My Whole Life"? The Franz Ferdinand remix? The band are more than one-dimensional, and are sometimes confounding... these are the same traits that have contributed to our consideration of artists like Bob Dylan and The Beatles as 'geniuses.' I'm not comparing their importance; just making an observation about perception.
So, yeah, I was ultimately underwhelmed by The Avalanches' VIVID appearence, when all is said and done. It didn't meet my fantastical expectations. And I do not for a second think excuses should be made for any performer who delivers a phoned-in, half-hearted, lousy gig. But chirst almighty, they never once claimed we were getting a super special, over-the-top, guaranteed-to-rip-your-face-off genre re-defining show. To see such revered guys for $40 bucks in the country's most iconic venue and then claim that you were ripped off or lied to is, I think, slightly misguided.
And perhaps some of the blame for that does lie with the way VIVID was promoted.
-Hanzi
PS: Suleman, the other thing I would agree with about your post (and I think most people would) is that The Avalanches are capable of putting on a much, much, MUCH better performance. I hope you get the opportunity to see that some time!
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