Atticus, Tshirt Boys, Sounds Likes Sunsett, Winterson
Iron Duke Hotel, Sydney, 16 October 1999
by Leigh Tran

an interesting choice of venue given the two "headlining" acts. the iron duke has built its name in sydney on the hard rock/punk circuit with bands like toe to toe and 28 days, so it was with some surprise that it managed to pull a low-key night like this off. under the guise of the tshirt boys, peabody and fellow indie band atticus played short sharp and sweet sets, punctuated by intriguing singer/guitarists who are set for big things, if only sydney radio would get off its arse and bothered to listen to what they've got under their own noses instead of looking to whats crap overseas.

my apologies first and foremost go to winterson, who i just missed out on catching due to circumstances beyond my control. i did however manage to see part of sounds like sunsett play, although even then my mind was other things. my ignorance is highlighted when i say i have not heard much about this band, if any at all. with that mind, what i did witness would probably warrant another closer listen as i found they had no discernable hook or feature but definite potential. solid pub rock that sydney features in abundance, and seemingly quite at home with the trad feel of the iron duke. they were loud, fond of feedback and raw both in vocals and performance wise, maybe a bit too much for my liking but like i said, i wouldnt mind taking a closer listen to their stuff.

for me peabody in their tshirt boys incarnation were the definite highlights. first let me explain that the tshirt boys is more of a vehicle for bruno and ben from the band (well they ARE peabody now, since the departure of drummer garry) to play new material and also covers that may not necessarily fit inline with the spunky pop sounds of peabody. a more mellow, acoustic affair was to be had, with bruno ditching the electric guitar, ben opting for a sit down affair, and the band enlisting the help of the very fine work from sam of the c-minus project on drums with brushes! thus the usual frenetic and energetic peabody experience was lost, as were the established peabody songs, but in lieu many crowd favourites ensued such as the delightful drug buddy from the lemonheads and that oft-covered tune, ween's what deaner was talking about. out of the entire set, only perhaps 2 or 3 songs were penned by the boys and even they were very new and more lo-fi than what can be found off their one and only commercially available ep, hi-cycle. (the new "demo" ep which u may have heard a bit off during the last broadcast of FBi is not actually for sale yet)

bruno is such a charismatic figure, and his presence on even a stage of this size is undeniable. he's got an amazingly clear voice which has a slight bitterness to it (the vox that is, altho the lyrics arent far behind in the biting stakes) and even as he apologised for sounding coarse that night, his unique sounds remained impressive. this is not to take anything away from ben, who is a very competent singer himself, and it can only be a good thing if the newer sound of peabody incorporates ben's contributions on the mic. overall it was a great show to watch as well as hear, the set staring off with a bruno solo, and at one stage the man donning the harmonica contraption as well as the grand old tradition of instrument swapping. more please!

soon after atticus graced the stage to take the night out and craig (funky bassist from meaneither, and head honcho at local label aristotles box) pointed out to me just before they went on, that despite their inertia on stage they had a great stage presence about them, and after seeing them the whole way through I am inclined to agree. lead singer/guitarist josh morris is an odd bloke, a wiry frame and deadpan delivery, and his singing reflects these stylistic leanings, as his voice portrays one thing while he says another. sardonic and dry lyrics underscored with subtle chord progressions and a sensible manner, atticus are the like tres cool big brother that you always followed around but was always just that tad out of your league.

they are smart and sassy and seeing them perform stuff off the new album which is due to be released in only a couple weeks time, as well as well worn favourites off their last ep was a real treat, because it also showed the pop talent that allows sydney to compete with the indie stalwarts of melbourne and perth. as much as bruno stands out as the frontman for peabody though, atticus are more of a coherent band with dual vocals roles from both josh and drummer darren. taking his cue from the singing drummers collective, darren is funny and charming and sweet and is a fine contrast to the cool exterior of their guitarist. i liked what i saw and heard from atticus, who may never reach the dizzy heights of lucrative commercial success because not everyone is going to appreciate their smart and sassy ways but they'll always have a place in the heart of the sydney scene. all in all, it was great night given the meagre numbers of the audience but perhaps precisely because it was such a cosy crowd that you felt you were part of the special homespun magic that our fledging indie pop scene has to offer. so stay tuned for more news on atticus and peabody people!