It may be a quiet Sunday evening in Sydney, but inside the Metro Theatre there is little indication the weekend is winding down. The room is packed shoulder to shoulder for the return of Anglo-French avant-pop institution Stereolab, making only their fourth visit to Australia and arriving buoyed by the warm reception afforded to last year’s comeback album, Instant Holograms On Metal Film.
Before Stereolab take the stage, support duties fall to Mick Harvey and Amanda Acevedo. The pair offer a set rich in atmosphere and understated drama, with Acevedo’s vocals weaving effortlessly through Harvey’s arrangements. Backseat Mafia recently reviewed the duo’s latest single, Perfect Storm, which is off their upcoming album, Psychedelia in White. They deliver an engrossing set and the closing number (Slow-Motion-Movie-Star,) in particular is outstanding. Written for PJ Harvey but never recorded by its intended recipient, the song simmers with a brooding sense of menace, leaving one lingering thought: PJ Harvey really ought to dust this one off and finally commit it to tape.
When Stereolab emerge, after a voice urges us to “Insert coin, Insert coin,” they are greeted like old friends. Despite their long absences between Australian visits, the connection remains strong, helped in no small part by the memory of late Australian musician Mary Hansen, who served as co-lead vocalist during one of the group’s most celebrated periods. That relationship with Australia runs deeper still, with Tim Gane revealing that the title of Instant Holograms On Metal Film itself originated from an old audio magazine he picked up while touring the country.
Nearly three decades after first reshaping the possibilities of indie music, Stereolab continue to occupy a world entirely of their own. Their music remains suspended between eras, drawing equally from 1960s lounge pop, Krautrock, motorik rhythms and futuristic electronics. Yet rather than existing as an exercise in nostalgia, the band continue to push forward, with Instant Holograms On Metal Film standing among their strongest releases in years and much of tonight’s set is from that album.
Laetitia Sadier’s unmistakable voice remains a constant amid the shifting textures, while the audience respond with the kind of devotion usually reserved for cult favourites who have quietly become institutions. Sadier switches from keyboards to guitar to trombone with ease. Stereolab’s audience has clearly continued to expand – there is a mix of old and young here tonight. Judging by the scenes inside the Metro on a Sunday night, their peculiar blend of nostalgia, futurism and irresistible groove continues to resonate with successive generations.
Images Deb Pelser
