I attended Melbourne’s RAT!hammock show in Brisbane with great eagerness and high expectations. I had been hooked on RAT!hammock's dreamy brand of pop-rock since the first time I heard June on our very own 4ZZZ many months ago.
The band began their set at an unusually early time, this usually the mark of an empty room. But on this occasion the room was full; wall to wall, attendee’s kissing shoulders in the sectioned off back-room of Black Bear Lodge. For any of you lucky enough to experience the venue during a full-capacity gig, you’ll know the terror of the elastic floorboards aching under your feet. This feeling is easily forgotten as I turned my attention to an ecstatic crowd, dancing carefree.
Midway through the set, a very familiar tune began, but not one of RAT!hammocks' memorable jangly tunes. Surprisingly, it was a cover of Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know, a bold and confident choice. The risk paid off: each word and note of the song fell loosely off the stage, enveloping the crowd.
A minor tuning incident was barely noticed as RAT!hammock began to play their aforementioned breakout single June. Punters screamed each word in time with guitarist & vocalist Jackson; a smile jumped out from behind the microphone, filling the entire frame of the frontman’s face. It was a true highlight, to watch a musician genuinely enjoy the excitement brought to his fans through their music.
I will admit, at times the band weren’t as tight as some of the musicians I have seen in my time but, those grand expectations I started with were met.
- Rachael Hart