13 October 2022 – 170 Russell, Melbourne – words and pictures by Eloise Coomber
Celebrating the release of their latest album, On the Wall in the Morning Light, Great Gable touches down in Melbourne on one of the wettest days of the month. Arriving off the back of some packed Hobart and Sydney shows, the WA rising stars make it to 170 Russell despite the foreboding weather.
The supports have been picked well, with both acts providing a taste of Great Gable’s musical influences. Velvet Bloom opens the night with honey-laden vocals, drawing in the onlookers with ‘Glimmer’, a soulful rendition that calls from beyond Maddy Herbert’s young years. DICE quickly join the stage, resembling a bright-and-bushy-eyed, early-days Spacey Jane. They command the large stage well with a mix of sunny confidence, jangly movements and a drummer who just looks happy to be there; ‘Bad Tattoo’ forms the solid centrepiece of the set.
After two stellar performances, the crowd is ready and waiting. The pre-show playlist punctures through with Ocean Alley and Tame Impala’s greatest hits, well and truly setting the tone of the night. From the first song Great Gable feels well-known, an Australian classic in the making, with all the emotional hallmarks of DMA’s and home state pop heroes San Cisco. Fan favourite ‘All My Friends’ led the release of their debut album in 2020, and the punters are all too keen to sing it straight back to the band. Great Gable flexes their genre-bending muscles well, crossing easily between King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard fuzz and Holy Holy reverence.
Front man Alex Whiteman remains crooning and unassuming throughout, leading the four-piece with an honest emotional availability without giving away too much. A highlight of the night is a cover of Owl Eye’s ‘Fireflies’, the band’s recent Triple J Like A Version that’s garnered almost 120k YouTube views to date. It is on this so-strange-it-works track that you can see drummer Callum Guy’s dynamic skill, which is not surprising considering most of the band members met through the prestigious Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).
Closing off the night after a loud and expected demand for an encore, ‘Hazy’ ripples through the crowd with a smile, something which carries through the entirety of ‘On the Wall in the Morning Light’. The night ends almost too soon, as each band has only built upon the joy in the room. Great Gable exits 170 Russell, leaving an audience who only want more; one that will certainly welcome them back on the next trip over.
