Polish Club transformed 170 Russell into a vigorous rock’n’roll playground
Subscribe
X

Get the latest from Beat

03.07.2019

Polish Club transformed 170 Russell into a vigorous rock’n’roll playground

Polish Club
1 / 5
Words by Leland Tan
Photos by Rochelle Flack

It was a raucous set from the rambunctious rockers.

Unsolicited cake tossing, an (almost) swan dive, birthday dedications and casual on-stage conversations made Polish Club’s album launch at 170 Russell a wonderfully kooky yet sweaty and intimate affair.

First up for the night were indie darlings Dulcie, official supports of the tour. Having performed alongside Spacey Jane and at Groovin the Moo, the quartet blend silky smooth vocals and harmonisation with effectual lyrics, wrapping their sound in a neat indie pop bowtie. Newly released singles ‘Own Ground’ and ‘Fall’ were the highlights of the set.

Afterwards came Approachable Members of Your Local Community, a name we suspect had as much forethought as their matching pink Adidas get-ups. The St Kilda four-piece initially seemed placid, but a shining set consisting of ‘One I Need’, ‘Semiotic Vision’, ‘Velcro’, ‘Millennium Queen’ and razzing with the local crowd turned heads. Indie group or local sports team, they can do it both.

With their second studio album Iguana dropped in June, Polish Club sought to expand the previous sound their fans have known and loved, with tremendous success.

The athletic 12-song production embraces flying bangers with every listen, and opening with shout-heavy ‘We Don’t Care’, the band – often compared in the veins of The Black Keys or Queens of the Stone Age – had a message early. They don’t give a reptile’s ass, and their fans are certainly on the same page.

‘Have you waited long?’, sings vocalist David Novak on ‘Iguana’, the track that epitomises the kind of head-banging thumpers they’re now used to blessing their fans with. ‘Goddamn!’, a more casual singalong, embraces a playfulness the Sydneysiders have incorporated for a broadened soundscape, especially towards track’s end when lyrics were met by an even louder, more inaudible reception from punters.

Things soon returned to bloodthirsty rocking as 2015’s ‘Beeping’ introduced itself with its non-stop fast-rock, sending drinks spilling all over the place, to which the band acknowledged that Melbourne’s dancefloors are the dirtiest. Drummer John-Henry Palak’s rapid-fire banging and upkeep was never more shimmering on this single.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzX44HcAK1S/

The band’s antics on stage share a fraction of their tomfoolery, with their discussion of Novak’s laundry habits for his white denims, minute dialogues about genitalia, and their half-assed unfinished covers of Red Hot Chili Peppers setting the jovial tone for the night.

Warping and transitioning a cover of MGMT’S ‘Electric Feel’ into a sweaty rock tune emulsified their spontaneity, and it was refreshing to observe who was growing impatient with their antics (absolutely no one). Brooding ‘Don’t Fuck Me Over’ encouraged a haze of lighters in the air, while heartache anthems, ‘As Low As It Goes’ and ‘Divided’ allowed the crowd a breather.

Capping off their night with ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ was an unorthodox decision that not many can pull off, but the guys-next-door unpredictability was never in question now was it? Iguanas blend according to their surroundings and just like Polish Club, you can never actually anticipate what these guys can do next. Such randomness was the beauty of the show.

Highlight: The surprise birthday cake midway through.

Lowlight: White denims and chocolate cake? On stage? Criminal.

Crowd favourite: ‘Clarity’.