Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

It’s been four very long years since the dark, brooding sounds of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club graced our shores. And it didn’t escape the conscience of the band either: “Four fucking years, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen you guys. Thanks for coming back again,” smiles Robert Levon Been, bassist / guitarist / vocalist with the US trio. If there was an air of doubt over their Australian fans’ loyalty, the sold out, 950+ crowd at Melbourne’s Hi Fi Bar completely dispelled this. Australian audiences had missed out on a large slice of BRMC’s life. Their 2005/6 Howl tour, which included some acoustic only performances by Robert and guitarist / bassist / vocalist Peter Hayes to accommodate their diversion to an acoustic/folk sound, didn’t make it here.

So on this very hot Melbourne night BRMC were in town and played for two hours to make up for lost time. Fours years may be a long time for a band, but there was one thing that hadn’t changed in BRMC camp – on record, in pictures and interviews and as a live outfit, they refuse to engage in any pretense or frivolity. Theirs is a no bullshit rock show (and persona) during which the music takes precedence.

With Peter and Rob decked out in their second-skin black attire, and angel-faced drummer Nick Jago defying the band uniform in a loose white shirt, they launched into a consecutive roll call of hits: Baby 81’s infectious ‘Berlin’, the politically charged ‘Weapon Of Choice’, brilliantly grungy ‘Stop’ (the only song representing second album Take Them On, On Your Own) and the song that started it all way back in 2002, ‘Love Burns’.

In a recent interview, Peter promised that Howl would be well represented on this tour and the band delivered (6 of the 21 songs were from Howl, 8 from Baby 81). ‘Shuffle Your Feet’ began with the three members on vocals and Nick delivered a bigger and livelier drum sound. ‘Aint No Easy Way’, whose stomping folk rhythm and bursts of harmonica puzzled fans when released as Howl's first single, received an overwhelming cheer and again had a more energetic presence than on record.

The true essence of Howl emerged when Peter, alone with his acoustic guitar and harmonica, raggedly delivered ‘Faultline’ and the country/gospel twang of ‘Devil’s Waiting’ like a true folk troubadour.

Robert again checks in with us halfway through the set again: “Are you guys doing OK? We haven’t been here for a long time so I hope it’s worth it.” He then takes a seat at the piano and launches into the beautiful ‘Windows’. Who’d have imagined the rare sight of the fuzz haired rocker on piano for an entire tune four years ago!

One of BRMC’s most definable traits, their guitar distortion and reverb rich sound, makes for ultra cool songs that can both succeed or disappoint live. On some occasions it translated as an incoherent wall of noise – overpowering bass and guitar swallowing the vocals (‘As Sure As The Sun’, ‘American X’) but by contrast, it really shined on the psychedelic guitar solos on ‘666 Conducer’ and ‘American X’.

Their encore was a four song bracket: Big riffed ‘Took Out A Loan’, ‘Killing The Light’ and two of the coolest songs ever committed to tape, 2002’s ‘Spread Your Love’ and the anthemic ‘Whatever Happened To My Rock And Roll’. The crowd was treated to a seemingly never ending jam that took the song – and gig – to an exhilarating end. But not before Peter, who had been relatively unanimated throughout the night, directed his attention towards the crowd, as if to soak in the atmosphere and acknowledge the sea of faces that had ‘come back again’. This was the BRMC performance that fans had waited for: all albums revisited, a variety in songs previously unseen and a classic, timeless rock show by a true rock band.

Yes BRMC, it was worth it.

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