FAKER

By Tessa Muskett

Please note that the following article is not rated G for General Exhibition because I’m assuming you are a uni student and your life is more interesting than that.

One big, long, physical, sexy night. The foreplay on this occasion did not begin gently with a sweet kiss, rather it was like lovers tearing each other’s clothes off. Violent Soho were like country sex in an urban garage, all flailing flannelette and unwashed hair but with a rawness and energy that seduced everyone. “Jesus stole my girlfriend” was sent out to “Anyone who has had their girlfriend stolen by Jesus”. I’m sure this happens a fair bit. After all, he is the most famous carpenter of all time. If anyone would look good in just a tool belt I’m sure it would be Jesus.

“Wollongong is the best because Tumbleweed are from here” is something the UniBar goers have heard before. There are a few more reasons I can think of why Wollongong is the best: there’s always a kebab place or a McDonalds in walking distance, same goes for music venues and libraries. Violent Soho played a very entertaining set. It’s rare that so many people get so into the first act of the night. It’s hard to believe, but things were just warming up.

There was no chance to sew each other’s clothes back together, a la Minghella’s The English Patient. After the onslaught of grunge passion Grafton Primary upped the dance ante. Their set was a lot of fun. Dance music is always trying to teach us the deep stuff, for example, the difference between love and its eternal nemesis, hate. There’s also a big focus on spelling, but the words have to be one syllable, I mean Gawd, you can’t be expected to know how to spell stuff on a night out, even if u r @ uni. Grafton Primary may try to teach us about concepts such as ‘Relativity’ but what they really succeed at is getting everyone to act like primary school kids after too much red cordial. Vocalist, Joshua Garden, closed the set saying, “You guys rule, just by the way”; as if we didn’t know, but it’s always nice to hear it.

The air was fully loaded, the night fraught with possibility. It is this kind of feeling that Faker’s new album is all about.

What is the sound of the moment before climax? Is it that of an approaching natural disaster, all rushing tidal wave or crashing earthquake? That’s what Faker’s intro sounded like. It wasn’t some poncey attempt at grandeur with the resounding chords of a piano that so many ‘alternative’ acts have been employing lately. It was more like my brother’s stomach when he has just had a leSnack for recess and has to wait a whole hour ‘til lunch

The mosh: hundreds of young bodies pushing and shoving against one another, people feeling other people’s bits, a jeaned leg between yours, a warm hand on your hip, the anonymity that passes into the evening. What’s not to love about a filthy, stinking mosh pit? The sweat, the pain, the unpredictability of it all, one moment you’re upright, the next you have no idea what’s going on. This was a gig where people were looking out for one another.

The tension mounted as Faker’s set continued. The sound escaping everyone’s lips as they climaxed was the same, “This heart attack! Gotta get away not coming back!”. No-one was faking it tonight. This was the latest single and it’s extensive radio play was evident in the response. The set was made up of some older songs interspersed with lots of songs from their new album ‘Be The Twilight’. ‘Sleepwalking’ is a more down tempo song but a stand out as it is so atmospheric. The dancier numbers kept the energy frantic and fun for the most part.

The encore was the post-coital cigarette. It wasn’t sultry and hazy and blissful, rather a poor attempt to deal with what had just happened. The fire was out, why try to prolong it when the peak can’t be topped? Because the people demanded it, that’s why. Damn needy lovers. You owe me a pack of Winnie Blues.

Quick Faker, file for an AVO on UOW students, they just love you too much.