The Creases @ Newtown Social Club, Sydney 09/07/16

Image Above: Kalem Horn

The Creases are a lot of fun. The four piece hailing from Brisbane is on the rise with tunes that have rippled through the musical community. They have been selected by Triple J to play at Laneway Festival, and also had attention in the UK. Presented by Liberation Music, their show at the Newtown Social Club as part of their Impact tour saw the band continue to grow. Their performance is nostalgic, with tunes drawing on a vast array of influences from classic musical eras. Surf rock, indie pop... they have it all. They may have listened to a lot of Joy Division and The Smiths growing up, but who knows. Hang on, that’s a bit melancholy... maybe throw in a Beach Boys influence or two? This mixture is perfect for the Newtown venue, which is intimate and distinctly local. It truly feels like The Creases stepped out of a time machine. The Creases aren’t all about the past though. They’ve clearly spent time developing their own more modern sound which is very cool.

The crowd was slow to warm up at first, but as The Creases delivered catchy track after track, they began to groove. This might have been due to the fact that the band seemed to save their best tunes for last. It definitely felt like the show got better and better, and by the end of the night I was left with nothing but warm feelings and good vibes. And that’s really what The Creases do best: just going out and giving everyone a great time, no pretence. 

The frontman with his excellent Beatles hairdo is not a virtuoso singer, but there’s something authentic and appreciable about his at times droning and relaxed vocals. The band is also surprisingly textured. The various instruments came together to fill the empty spaces with sound and colour. This effect washed over the audience who swayed and danced loosely. Although, this is not to say that the show was too dreamy, as the band offered up some great upbeat tunes also. ‘Impact’ The single that they were promoting on this tour was a definite highlight and had the whole crowd hopping along to the awesome vocal layers and catchy guitars.

All in all, The Creases deliver a great show, which definitely shows great promise as the band goes forward. The Impact tour may have come to an end, but be sure to check them out in the near future.

Reviewer: Cameron MacLeod