Four years ago I was seeing the same band, at the same venue with the same close friends. A mad case of deja vu found us at the Astor Theatre again to watch Fremantle quartet San Cisco perform some disco-laced indie pop tunes.
There is no doubt that we Perth-ians have pride in our local bands. Being a small city, everyone knows everyone and we delight in seeing lead guitarist Josh at a Freo coffee shop, or spotting drummer Scarlet working in Leederville, or that friend of a friend who is related to one of the band members.
The band has come a long way since their first show. More facial hair, a maturer sound and a refined stage performance.
The over-18 show brought a surprisingly energetic audience who were swatted to the front of the stage like mosquitos. Drunken dancing and loud singing—mostly in tune—were welcomed by the band who were comfortable in front of their home crowd.
A once innocent faced lead singer Jordi not afraid to tell a beer can throwing fan to “fuck off” after he dodged a good throw.
Beer cans aren’t the only challenges faced by the band—retaining their signature indie pop sound without sacrificing an audience growing in maturity has proved difficult. However, their latest album, The Water, has taken their feel good sound to new depths.
The 17 song set was a lolly bag of new and old faves, with a few surprises in the mix. The band wasn’t afraid to showcase their classics including Fred Astaire, Wild Things and Snow alongside some of their newbies like That Boy, Hey Did I Do You Wrong and of course The Water. Jordi even did a sweet rendition of John’s Song from there oldest EP Golden Revolver. The only thing missing was some verbal extrapolation about the songs themselves and insights into the song writing process.
The encore contained a stripped back version of Waiting For The Weekend that Jordi sang solo. Although not a star on the album, it was the highlight of the live show, truly demonstrating Jordi’s strong vocals.
Lead guitarist Josh stepped up in a few solo opportunities. Scarlet received the most attention on stage and the largest applause but remained calm and collected, helping Jordi with some backing vocals.
There was one thing the crowd was yearning for. The bands number one hit—widely known thanks to a Vodaphone ad—was not played. Awkward? Maybe not. Was this where the band drew the line? Possibly.
With a continuously growing fan base, rising ticket prices, sold out venues and an evolving sound, there is no doubt San Cisco are not the amateurs they once were. Who knows where the band will be in another four years?