Yacht
Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne
Friday 3 May 2013
Super, high-powered, electro punk! Crazy, energetic art pop buzz! Antics coming right AT you! Bursting onto the stage with uncontained abandon, the gleeful frolicking of Yacht frontman Jona Bechtolt was unadulterated evidence of a joyous performer. Tight moves… think the robot dance on acid, with a short-circuited program and a turbo boost. Claire L. Evans, dramatically blonde bobbed and black lipped, joined in the super-shape-making hijinks.
Yacht were clearly thrilled to be touring, and the Melbourne audience was clearly thrilled to have them for this Groovin the Moo sideshow. The core group consists of Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans but musicians Rob “Bobby Bridman” Kieswetter, and Jeffrey Brodsky “Jeffrey Jerusalem” are touring members, primarily playing bass and drums respectively; although the musical versatility of each member was evident: Bechtolt took his turn behind the kit over the course of the night, and everyone took their turn behind the sampler/keys.
Completely approachable, (what acclaimed international act sells their own CDs at the back of Ding Dong after the show?) Evans and Bechtolt were captivatingly charming, and demonstrated an innate ability to wrap themselves up in the microphone cord, then unwrap themselves, and to throw the microphone to each other in a display of unique hand eye co-ordination. After half a dozen songs, they stopped the show to get random hopefuls on stage in a sort of endearingly unorganised competition to give away Groovin the Moo tickets, which didn’t really work… but they knew it, and we knew it, and no-one minded in the slightest. It added a sort of bedroom-feel spontaneity to the room. Then on with the show!
The punters were amped to hear more. “Psychic City” was really well received, and had the dance floor writhing with appreciation, and Dystopia was a stand out. Originally it was the xx’s remix of this track which alerted me to Yacht’s particular style.
“Second Summer” harnessed the computer-powered ear candy and had Evans and Bechtolt jumping into the dancing crowd, who threw themselves into a ballistic frenzy in reward. It was a precise, intimate, irrepressible performance, completely heartfelt and burning with infectious enthusiasm. It literally made me want go home and start making music, immediately.
Everybody put your hands in the air!
Naomi Taig
Yacht were clearly thrilled to be touring, and the Melbourne audience was clearly thrilled to have them for this Groovin the Moo sideshow. The core group consists of Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans but musicians Rob “Bobby Bridman” Kieswetter, and Jeffrey Brodsky “Jeffrey Jerusalem” are touring members, primarily playing bass and drums respectively; although the musical versatility of each member was evident: Bechtolt took his turn behind the kit over the course of the night, and everyone took their turn behind the sampler/keys.
Completely approachable, (what acclaimed international act sells their own CDs at the back of Ding Dong after the show?) Evans and Bechtolt were captivatingly charming, and demonstrated an innate ability to wrap themselves up in the microphone cord, then unwrap themselves, and to throw the microphone to each other in a display of unique hand eye co-ordination. After half a dozen songs, they stopped the show to get random hopefuls on stage in a sort of endearingly unorganised competition to give away Groovin the Moo tickets, which didn’t really work… but they knew it, and we knew it, and no-one minded in the slightest. It added a sort of bedroom-feel spontaneity to the room. Then on with the show!
The punters were amped to hear more. “Psychic City” was really well received, and had the dance floor writhing with appreciation, and Dystopia was a stand out. Originally it was the xx’s remix of this track which alerted me to Yacht’s particular style.
“Second Summer” harnessed the computer-powered ear candy and had Evans and Bechtolt jumping into the dancing crowd, who threw themselves into a ballistic frenzy in reward. It was a precise, intimate, irrepressible performance, completely heartfelt and burning with infectious enthusiasm. It literally made me want go home and start making music, immediately.
Everybody put your hands in the air!
Naomi Taig
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All images courtesy of Yacht
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