.

The War On Drugs, Kings Park, 11/12/2023 / Photo – @_awii_

.

THE WAR ON DRUGS
+ Spoon + Indigo Sparke
+ Welcome To Country
@ Kings Park, Perth
11th December 2023
(Live Review)

Review by Melanie Griffiths

Photos by Adrian Thomson (@_awii_)

.

The War On Drugs, Kings Park, 11/12/2023 / Photo – @_awii_

.

There is something uniquely comforting about The War On Drugs. Maybe it’s the familiar-sounding riffs that tweak the brains of its fans. Or the richly layered and unabashed approach they have to their songwriting which is introspective and tinged with hope. To hear them live is an act of surrender to how gracefully and powerful music can be with a deft approach. That was certainly the main takeaway from their performance at the idyllic Kings Park and the Botanic Garden.

Moving on from the bikie retributions of the Ministry of Sound gig of the weekend, the setting was far more relaxed with people taking position on blankets as they downed cups of wine. With an older millennial crowd, there was an eagerness for Australian artist Indigo Sparke before indie-legends Spoon came out on stage for a solid set.

.

Indigo Sparke, Kings Park, 11/12/2023 / Photo – @_awii_

.

Spoon, Kings Park, 11/12/2023 / Photo – @_awii_

.

Spoon influence on other indie-rock musicians can’t be downplayed. Dependable and consistent Spoon, led by frontman Britt Daniel, has been delivering since they first formed in the early 1990s. Sounding just as good as they ever have the band opened with “The Beast and Dragon, Adored” and didn’t let up for the 40 minutes they played. There were callbacks to their distinctive quirky songwriting with “The Underdog” and “The Way We Get By” to the sultry and genre-blending songs of John Lennon’s “Isolation”, “Inside Out” and “Wild” from their latest album “Lucifer On The Sofa”. A band that could be a headliner had set the bar high for The War On Drugs.

With a lot of drama and a strong wind that tousled the hair of the band members like an 80s ballad music video, The War On Drugs arrived to stir the soul. Opening with “Old Skin” Adam Granduciel’s heartbreaking vocal broke the hushed silence raising the emotion of the night inch by inch. When you have a band so accomplished with the likes of Kurt Vile and Charlie Hall it’s hard to miss.

.

The War On Drugs, Kings Park, 11/12/2023 / Photo – @_awii_

.

The War On Drugs, Kings Park, 11/12/2023 / Photo – @_awii_

.

The lighting and staging amplified the group’s stage presence albeit in a mysterious way. Often drenching the band members in blood red or indigo blue light with few flourishes in between meant that those further back on the grass had to rely on video screens. It all added to the immersive feeling of the concert creating a sonic tapestry, especially with songs like “Strangest Thing”, “Harmonia’s Dream” and dance floor favourite “Red Eyes”. With Granduciel’s warm vocals and hooky bright choruses, there was an airy, spiritual feel to their songs. Revelatory and grand The War On Drugs were at its most powerful when poetic lyrics cross-hatched with their very tight arrangements.

With that said, The War On Drugs has an undercurrent of familiarity to it. With the extended breakdown of “Eyes to the Wind” you could hear influences of Neil Young and Mark Knopfler seeping through. By “Under The Pressure” the band has proven why they are a must-see live band and had the audience bopping along. Like many of the songs, the band starts introspective and like a blooming flower the song becomes charged resulting in an emotional payoff at the end. So by the time the sparkling guitars of “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” drifted across the audience, it had been a journey of oscillation between introspection and euphoria.

Closing out with “Thinking of a Place” The War On Drugs proved that there is still a lot of fuel in the tank, performing musical mastery and sublime songwriting that hits fans deeply like a cherished love letter.

4.5/5

.

The War On Drugs, Kings Park, 11/12/2023 / Photo – @_awii_

.

Check out Adrian Thomson’s (@_awii_) full gallery of this event HERE

.

Follow THE WAR ON DRUGS
Instagram – Twitter – Tiktok

.

The War On Drugs, Kings Park, 11/12/2023 / Photo – @_awii_

.

.

AMNPLIFY – DB