17 May 2024 – The Triffid, Brisbane – words by Kai Giovanni – pictures by Bec Harbour
It feels unreal to look back at that fateful day in 2006, when Sleater-Kinney announced their indefinite hiatus. Since then, Sleater-Kinney have gifted us with a live album, a collaboration record, and three studio LPs. And, last night on Friday the 17th of May, they returned to Brisbane on the Australian leg of their Little Rope Tour.
Releasing in January of this year, eleventh studio LP Little Rope has been the perfect step forward in Sleater-Kinney’s progressively-moving sound, and timeless messaging. Whilst Western socio-politics has, and still is, always been a core foundation of the Washington band’s themes of empowerment and expression, their songs have striven to bring us more in touch with ourselves as well as the world around us. Introspective looks into natural feelings like isolation, grief, belonging, and disarray have not only elevated Sleater-Kinney past their riot grrrl roots, but have infused the genre and their music with new life and innovation.
Support from Body Type has been the perfect cherry on top of an already-exciting Australian tour. Out of the modern Australian rock acts who use punk tactics to deliver refreshing and liberating perspectives on contemporary issues, Body Type is a band who should always be near the top of your radar, and their performance last night did more than prove it. The Sydney band’s four members worked as one tight unit, sharing vocal lines, lead melodies, and stage play as if all connected to one punk-rock hivemind. Just like expired candy, their sound teetered between a tonic sweetness and aggressive bitterness, perfectly getting the crowd warmed up and excited for a night of rock ‘n roll and expertly crafted songs.
Body Type – The Triffid – photos by Bec Harbour
Despite the generational mix of Gen X’s, Millennials, and Gen Z’s in the crowd, when stars Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein graced the stage, the night’s audience all collectively returned to their childhoods. The strum of Carrie’s guitar and ring of Corin’s voice brought us all back to times of rebellious, cathartic Sleater-Kinney binge listens.
One of the band’s most beautiful-yet-heart-wrenching tracks to date, Little Rope’s opening track ‘Hell’ began the night. This was the first of many Little Rope tracks heard live for the first time by the Brisbane audience. Quick favourites like ‘Hunt You Down’, ‘Untidy Creature’, and ‘Needlessly Wild’ sent the audience into head-bopping frenzies, matching Corin’s expressive energy and Carrie’s iconic stage presence. They’re a marvel to watch together.
Sleater-Kinney – The Triffid – photos by Bec Harbour
Another impressive trait of Sleater-Kinney has always been their loyalty to and innovation of 90’s sound mixing. If you compared tracks from their debut self-titled album to tracks off Little Rope, even with their modern sound’s implementation of atmospheric synth effects, you’d recognise the same unique lead riffs, stripped back rhythm section, and front-of-house drum mix that make up their iconic thick-yet-thin texture. This also rings true for their live sound. If Live in Paris didn’t prove it, the band deliver such a unique live listening experience. You can hear everything just right, allowing earworms like Carrie’s guitar lines or Corin’s vocals to cut through like butter.
Sleater-Kinney – The Triffid – photos by Bec Harbour
This handcrafted live mix allowed Little Rope songs to sit perfectly beside the night’s collection of old and new Sleater-Kinney tracks. Boppy ballads like ‘A Quarter to Three’, ‘Get Up’, ‘Good Things’, and ‘A New Wave’ transitioned beautifully into heavy hitters ‘Dig Me Out’, ‘The Fox’, and – personal favourite – ‘Hurry On Home’. It’d be a disservice to the band’s new live sound to also not acknowledge their skilled backing musicians, Angie Boylan (drums), Toko Yasuda (vox, keys), and Teeny Lieberson (vox, rhythm). Their voices were a wonderful embellishment to Carrie and Corin’s, in tandem with their array of instruments, ranging from synths, guitars, shakers, and even a melodica (look it up, it’s awesome!).
Sleater-Kinney – The Triffid – photos by Bec Harbour
By the end of the night, The Triffid transformed into a choir; the crowd and Sleater-Kinney sang loudly together with all the strength and passion that makes Sleater-Kinney iconic. They are just that: iconic. Take beautiful songwriting and unique musicianship, add a dash of innovation, and an intergenerational outlook on the world’s state, our societies, and ourselves, and you have the answer as to why Sleater-Kinney are so timeless.
Their Australian leg of their Little Rope Tour continues on May 19 at the Forum, and May 21 at Metro Theatre.
