The Scare,
Mean Fiddler,
12.06.07
A couple of songs into The Scare‘s set, it’s apparent that they’re facing something of uphill struggle in terms of engaging the crowd – most of whom are either tired from work or still recovering from last weekend’s Download festival.
Still, the Aussie quintet pull off a fine performance, with efforts like ‘Irony’ and new single ‘Bats! Bats! Bats’ sounding like the Icarus Line might if they decided to molest new life into Gang Of Four’s funk-punk legacy. Live-wire singer Kiss Reid’s antics may provoke little more than polite applause, but you can’t fault him or his band for enthusiasm.
Let’s face it, if anyone was gonna get the party – Satellite or otherwise – started, it’s Perry Farrell. Boasting the energy of a man half his age, his new act thankfully forsakes the usual self-indulgent ‘super group’ clichés in favour of sparkling sex-rock anthems that boast as much sass and swagger as the man himself. Never a man to be shy of his past, he even throws in a few Jane’s Addiction numbers for good measure, which finally whips the venue into the dancing frenzy that tonight has long called for.
His between-song patter may veer from the entertaining to the plain confusing (“The Milky Way? Ahh, that’s not so good…I’m headed for the Milky Avenue!”), but when faced with a performance this good, you can’t help but cast aside your cynicism, and just believe.