By Steve "Shelvo" Shelverton
FYI: All the photos by @chatterboxchats in this article are from the headline show later that night.
Flaming hell, it’s hot. It feels like 38.5 C or so the BOM app says. It’s so hot that all the sweaty goodness from the Fortitude Valley footpaths is congealing under my feet to be reanimated again. I don’t even want to imagine about what I’m sitting on as I wait on the footpath outside of Catalog Music at 74 Wickham Street.
I think about how much it sucks driving my Defender without Aircon right now, only for The Moving Stills to tell the crowd they drove up to Brisbane in the Tarago van without aircon, and it was infinitely hotter in the van than out of it! Good on those lads for persevering through the thick wall of humidity north of Tweed Heads to deliver a wonderful (if very hot) in-store performance and meet and greet to about thirty people and one very lucky dog.
The Moving Stills are a band with a sound that hits all the right beats, with surfy vibes, a very chilled, laid-back atmosphere, sentimental lyrics, and the ability to not give a fuck about the little things and just enjoy the good stuff.
The WAXX Lyrical Record Club chose their sophomore album Wabi Sabi (which was also the Triple J Feature Album in November of last year) as the first record of the month for 2024 and said “It’s more than just an album; it’s a joyous and infectious soundtrack to a scorching summer filled with love, heartbreak and friendship.”
Frontman Tom Mahler and guitarist Mike Drennan are going to play four or maybe more songs to the eager audience, as soon as Mike can find his guitar at least. “Has anyone seen my guitar?” he wonders to the crowd at one point, but not to worry, it was safe and sound the whole time. Bassist Ben Day and drummer Brad Guthman sit to the rear of the room with drum and bass in resting mode, soaking in the ambience.
The location is a high walled white room that’s lined with records spanning across the decades and generations. The JK-47’s album Made for This catches my eye, sitting proudly in the centre back wall (love that album). A cow skin rug drapes the floor (this might be at odds with the band’s plant-based ideologies ha-ha). Tom is perched on a stool while Mike appears to be at ease sitting on his Fender amp without causing any distortion or feedback.
The band start their set out with In Your City, a song that Tom says reminds him of Brisbane and waiting in those painfully long lines in the Valley to get into every club. Tom says that we may have heard it before as they’ve snuck it in to a few live sets along the way prior to the album launch.
He also took the humble opportunity to thank everyone for coming out and being here in this crazy heat. Mike had an almost slide guitar sound during this song, and when I was able to chat to him about it after the set, he said that he has done a little bit of slide. He’s a very humble and fun bloke to talk too, I get the feeling he understates his immense talent and ability to make the crowd enjoy it.
Next up was Better which is such a smooth and breezy track that I reckon it cooled the room by at least five degrees. The vocals harmonies were so refreshing, and the lyrics about “Playing CDs in your car, Zepplin in the Walkman,” spoke directly to me as the oldest person in the room and gave me mad flashbacks to the nineties.
Tom then asks if anyone has suggestions for the next track and the murmurs from the shy crowd seemed to all land on Westside. This stone fruit picking homage to the luscious surf of west coast Australia is my favourite.
I can’t help but wonder if it’s also Tom’s because he grinned throughout the entire song while singing it. You could see him lost in memories. Mike craftily slips in a few bars of the harmonica as well. I feel like this was The Moving Stills encapsulated in a single frame, a snapshot of nostalgic, indie warmth.
Afterwards the boys throw it back to the crowd to suggest the next song. “Volcano?” someone asks but this this gets shot down because it requires the full rhythm section. Instead, they play The Lesson, which is not so much the drum and bass number like it is on the album, but this stripped-down version was very intimate.
The boys tell us that it can be a challenge to fit all songs without the assistance of the other two members, but they want to do one more track because it just felt right. They decide to play Waste My Time, a throwback to their 2022 debut album Sunshine Corner.
I have to say, I reckon I enjoyed the live version even more than the one on the album. The band apologise to the under 18’s for them not being able attend tonight’s show, but offer some additional merch and the opportunity to have photos together.
After the set, Ben immediately cracks open a pack of Digestives and Mike tells me that Ben is just mad for them! We also have a quick chat about all things Aus music, our shared experience coming from a small town, and how it’s been to tour and see the world with Tom, a friend that he first met in kindergarten! Reminds me a bit of Shane and Simon from DZ, who have a similar story about growing up in Bundaberg together.
I buy a signed record of Wabi Sabi, which is currently number two on the ARIA Vinyl Charts. Mike later jokes that to get to number one, everyone needs to immediately stop listening to Taylor Swift, who currently holds first place. Easy choice for me I say!
After the in-store, Mike and Tom ask me if I’m going to the show tonight at the Valley Loft. I said I wasn’t, but then I decide “Fuck it!”. Five songs just weren’t enough, so I buy two tickets for Quintin and I and I’m so bloody glad I did.
During the Valley Loft set, Mike recounts that when they first played the same venue about six years ago now, there would have been no more than eight people there to see the show. Tonight, it was completely sold out and the boys played to an absolutely rapturous crowd.
The encore was the previously requested Volcano, after which the band swiftly exited stage left, into what looked like a backstage area but was instead, according to the band, a broom closet. They sure don’t make backstages like they used to.
After a bit of a come up, it’s great to see The Moving Stills hit their stride and sell out shows. They’ll be touring across the country throughout the rest of January and February so make sure to check them out if they swing by your neck of the woods.
Checkout all their remaining tour dates here!
Thanks to Bronte from @chatterboxchats for all the photos!