The Presets @ The Venue Nightclub 09/23/18
As the weekend came to an end and the students and workers of Vancouver settled in for the night, the Venue Nightclub was just opening its doors. Playing host to one of Australia’s finest electronic acts, The Presets, clearly the oncoming Monday morning wasn’t enough to stop fans from going hard.
The Presets were joined by another duo, Blood Red Shoes. Hailing from England, the pair of Laura Mary-Carter (guitar, vocals) and Steven Ansell (drums, vocals) might not have been the most fitting of openers for an electronic act. It was a shame to see the clearly talented pair play in front of the lightly cluttered crowd that had formed for the nine o’clock show start.
Blood Red Shoes are no strangers to Vancouver, having played at The Commodore Ballroom in late April, opening for The Fratellis. Their heavy hitting alternative rock was much more suited for that crowd and they didn’t quite feel the same warm welcome at the Venue Sunday night. This didn’t hold Ansell back on the drums as he smashed out song after song, showing off his truly captivating drumming skills. Mary-Carter on the other hand was noticeably unenthused and seemed eager to finish the set.
Most attendees showed up sometime during the half hour between sets. By the time The Presets walked on to the small stage, the Venue had turned from awkward indie rock show to a full-on party. There was a strong feeling of connectedness amongst the thick crowd on the floor as the duo started things off with “Talk Like That,” a song that brought them onto the maps of many ten years ago. The hypnotizing pulse of “Martini” off their latest release brought an exciting chill to the mood as the crowd grew more comfortable. This led to “Ghosts,” The Presets showing a glimpse at the beautiful soundscapes they created with 2012’s Pacifica.
Sadly, there was little else heard from that point in their discography aside from the brooding “Youth in Trouble.” Instead of showcasing what is arguably the most beautifully thrilling aspect of their music with songs like “Promises” and “Fall,” they embraced a darker and heavier dance mix for the set.
Julian Hamilton (vocals, keyboard) and Kim Moyes (drums, keyboard) have been playing music together since ’95, releasing their first album as The Presets ten years later. From ’05 to 2012 they built their following with an electronic meets alternative sound. It was dance-punk, kind of like that of American band The Faint. On Pacifica we saw a more polished and serene side to the music, something the band seems to have wanted to head away from with this year’s Hi Viz.
In the nearly six years since The Presets last dropped an album they’ve moved into DJ territory. The drum kit Moyes was playing on Sunday night hardly seemed necessary and the rich and resonating vocals of Hamilton weren’t heard enough. That’s not to say fans weren’t having an absolute blast. The energy was wild and if you were on that floor, you were dancing. “Do What You Want” was ten times better live than the studio version (and okay, the drum kit added a lot to this one) and “Downtown Shutdown” had many members of the crowd singing together.
Later in the set they performed fan-favourites “This Boys in Love” and “My People” from their most successful album to date, Apocalypso. Stand out tracks in a set that otherwise seemed to blend from one bass-heavy song to the next.
