Japans best instrumental post rock exports MONO are back on our shores for the first time in two long years. Officially coming here for Melbourne Festival in order to recreate their tenth anniversary Holy Ground show featuring a twenty one piece orchestra. The band are also touring the country as a four piece, boldly impressing audiences all over again with their grand intense emotional performances.
Opening tonight are locals, Secret Birds. Following on from an impressive show supporting Wooden Shjips side project Moon Duo the week before. The band are at the top of their game with the sound working in their favour tonight as the groups psych based instrumentals sound as clear as ever. Definitely leaning to the more experimental side of the music spectrum the group play a solid set despite everyones eagerness for the night's headliner.
Leaning towards the more heavy side, three piece No Anchor take to the stage with a thunderous sound that pushes the Hifi's PA for the duration of the set. An interesting group that features two bass guitars, the dual attack from Donovan Miller and Ian Rogers is worth checking out the band alone as they manipulate feedback and drone based harmonies through an instrument that normally doesn't have said capabilities. The group perform an overall impressive set apart from their closing track which, while not a bad song, dragged on towards the end as the group mockingly tease the end for several minutes causing a large portion of the crowd to become restless.
The curtain is closed as classical music comes from the venues PA with the venue now full to the brim anticipation for MONO are at an all time high. As the curtain is drawn the four-piece are already at their instruments quietly building the atmosphere as they launch into the ten minute plus epic Ashes in the Snow. The completely mesmerising track showcases why this band have such a devoted legion of followers as guitarists Takaakiro Goto and Yoda weild their instruments with such intensity through the songs peak causing aural bliss.
Goto takes to slide guitar for the short but sweet Follow The Map as bassist Tamaki Kunishi takes to the piano in this track that showcases space and atmosphere as opposed to Ashes focus on intensity and dynamics. Burial At Sea seems to be an appropriate follow up with the clean guitar sound utilising artificial and the venues natural reverb as the sound resonates off the Hifi's walls to the thunderous almost marching drums of Yasunori Takada. The Hymn to the Immortal Wind track showcases a darker side to the band as the atmosphere intensifies to the songs grand conclusion.
An interesting game to be played in the venue tonight is the choice of where to stand. The Hifi's unique amphitheatre like set up offers a number of different perspectives on the bands precise and detailed sound. People at the front, whilst having a better view of the band missed more of the ground moving bass sections and higher frequencies of the guitars. With the best position in the house proving to be on the second tier near the mixing desk, As the band launch into Pure as Snow it's as if that section should be shut off for V.I.P.'s as the brilliant track sounds amazing and worth the ticket price alone. MONO's best asset is their manipulations of dynamics and Pure as Snow displays it better than any other track tonight as the quieter sections leave room for a mouse to be heard amongst the respectful crowd. While the tracks later parts are so intense that cochleas are begging to be crushed under the weight of the bands intense sound. Goto appears to be particularly moved during this track removing his guitar and playing it whilst on the ground in an intense display of a musician who loves the music that he makes whilst being backed by a blinding strobe light show.
The soothing Sabbath off the groups second album One More Step and You Die is a good counter piece from the intensity of Pure as Snow and proves to be a good introduction to the epic Halcyon (Beautiful Days) Debatably one of the groups most popular tracks it is evident why as the band deliver a remarkable rendition of the track with the group playing off of each other and the dynamics once again. On record Halcyon sounds fuller on the Holy Ground live album featuring a 24 piece orchestra as opposed to it's original recording on You are There but as the distortion kicks in orchestra or not the intensity of the sound coming from the Hifi's PA rivals any band that has been through the venue before. The climatic conclusion sees Goto and Yoda playing so fast it wouldn't be a surprise if smoke was coming off of the fretboards of their punished instruments.
The delay pedals are switched on for the introduction of Moonlight which sees Kunishi return to the piano and Takada taking the synth next to her for the most part of the thirteen minute track. While slightly slower the track finishes with a bang which could have concluded the set quite easily. However the group remain for the mesmerising Everlasting Light. For the most part of the track Takada remains motionless behind his kit just simply sitting there with his hair covering his face as he takes in the atmosphere of the song. Like a calm before a storm, the track suddenly explodes into a sea of beautiful noise that would make contemporaries such as Mogwai blush and cover their ears. As the instruments go silent a cheer goes up that rivals the band at their loudest and with a humble and appreciative bow the band leave the stage smiling with the crowd leaving the Hifi smiling even wider.
MONO are the true definition of pure, raw emotional talent that in this day and age are a rare breed. The group played most of the night with the venues lighting coming from behind them which never really displayed the musicians faces or identities, which gave the impression that the music is the band not the musicians themselves. With not a word said, Tonights performance was truly one of the best shows Brisbane has seen all year and like an audio tattoo on the crowds memory, tonight's performance wont be forgotten anytime soon. Envy and jealousy from everyone in Brisbane should go out to those lucky enough to have tickets to the bands Melbourne festival show which features a twenty one piece orchestra.
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