Sydonia @ Ding Dong Lounge (2011-05-06)

I said last time I saw Sydonia (at Rock the Bay Festival) that it wasn't the most enjoyable set I'd ever seen from them. I still can't explain why, but I'm sticking to my reasons as being tired, somewhat intoxicated, and displeased with the setlist. I suppose in this way Sydonia gigs are a bit like the old Mammal shows - when they're on their game, they're fucking awesome, but sometimes there's just nothing that makes it stick out from the last show you went to, and you wonder whether it was worth going. All week I was sort of in two minds as to whether to attend this show, as I can't even really afford many good shows at the moment, so what if they had played a bad one? Well. They opened with Adornment, good sign. And the rest of the set just went up from there! A brand new song that finally has the additional percussion in full flight, plenty of old favourites, new favourites, a good crowd, it all went Sydonia's way tonight. Even a few technical difficulties (that infamous Ding Dong speaker crackle that, if I remember correctly, has happened on more than a few nights I've been there) couldn't ruin another great show from Melbourne's finest. Oh, and Taste More LIVE! I've seen Dana play it at a solo show, but at a Sydonia show... WOW. You can hear someone singing during it, whoever it is sounds pretty bad. I have a feeling it's me; I need to remember that such things are inevitably going to end up on a bootleg blog that I contribute to :) on the other hand though, I was standing right behind Jack... Anyway, this was a pretty tops Sydonia show. Didn't even matter that they didn't play Incoming or Bateria, although if they had've made it in this would have easily been the best Sydonia gig ever.

SETLIST:
Adornment
Ocean of Storms
Shame
No Woman's Land
Crash Here Tonight (FIRST TIME EVER! ...Well, apparently not. I've been informed by a good friend of mine that they actually played this at Rock the Bay 2010. But this is most likely the only time since then.)
Taste More
Here (with Zack Murray)
3 Tongues
(in between here there's a bit of a speech from the dude whose birthday this gig was celebrating)
Elbow
Rubber Bullet

DOWNLOAD MP3 HERE