Words: Tracey Moyle {Music Maven Events}
Boorloo/Perth-based four-piece rock act The Faim brought the home-soil leg of their international ‘Talk Talk’ tour to Brisbane last night, much to the delight of their dedicated fans.
A cold, wet night in Meanjin/Brisbane on Thursday night wasn’t enough to deter fans of Western Australian rockers The Faim. These rising superstars crossed our border for the first time since the pandemic so inconveniently intruded into our lives.
A decent crowd gathered early at The Brightside Fortitude Valley, anticipating a night of high energy from three outstanding rising local talents.
The Faim released their sophomore album ‘Talk Talk’ last month, receiving rave reviews around the globe. The band has recently returned from a string of successful UK & EU dates, including performances at major festivals including Rock am Ring, Download Festival, Rock Werchter, La Nuit De l’Erdre, and Musilac.
Read our review of ‘Talk Talk’ HERE
The band kicked off their Australian run in their home town on July 15 and have worked their way across this great southern land, entertaining their fans across the country.
Tagging along for the ride are Melbourne-based alternative rockers Terra and fellow Western Australians, Bad Weather.
Opening the night, alt-pop trio Bad Weather hit the stage. Their superb blend of songs are a kaleidoscope of influences stretching across pop punk, indie, pop rock, post-punk and emo. Vocalist/guitarist Callum Robertson set out to win over new fans and wow the ones already saving Bad Weather to playlists.
The band’s hazy indie pop-rock measure blends perfectly with Robertsons’ melodic vocals in a sublimely comforting way. Their musical influences shine through to create an impalpably familiar feel combined with the excitement of stumbling onto something exciting and fresh. They work through the set with tracks including the very danceable Dance This Mess Around, heartfelt pop-rock number Cherry and the emotional turbulence of latest single Flowers In Your Room. Closing the set with the melodic emo-tinged All I Know, Bad Weather succeeded in opening the night flawlessly.
A decent crowd were obviously eager for the main act to start but happily welcomed Melbourne alt-rock band, Terra to the stage. The five-piece hit the stage with a wrecking ball force, all members exploding with energy across the small stage. With their own fans in the crowd, the band launched into a set showcasing their latest EP release, ‘Reverie’. From opening with intro Wishful, the band rammed full force into new rock track Arrows. From my point, there seemed to be some sound issues with lead vocalist Cassie Sutton’s microphone at times, with her usually melodically dominant vocals drowned out by the band. Despite this, her pipes shone through at all the right times with a natural power behind them.
The band’s energy didn’t let up throughout the set. The combined power of the five-piece would be right at home on a bigger stage. New music was the night’s treat, with the band breaking out a previously unreleased track. The band closed off the set with recent hits Frenemies and Fear. Seeing Terra’s energy in their live set is another reason for music lovers to wake up, get out, and support our amazing live scene.
The Faim are one of Australia’s most promising young rock acts in recent years. The band have their sights set high for their future and it’s likely they will soar to those heights. Last night a crowd gathered at The Brightside with evident anticipation for the main act. There seems to be a buzz with fans, or perhaps a knowing seeing them in small venues like this won’t be the norm for long.
The band wasted no time starting their set off storming the stage with ‘Talk Talk’ hit Ease My Mind. The adoration on the faces of the crowd was plain as day. Word for word, the fans joined in and did not let up through the next track, the popular 2019 hit, Tongue Tied. At this stage, lead vocalist Josh Raven declared how tired they were. After months of constant touring, it’s no surprise.
The band played tracks spanning their brief but exciting career, with the crowd lapping up both singing along to ‘Talk Talk’ track ERA and debut album ‘State Of Mind’s’ Humans with equal love and enthusiasm. Raven is an entertainer and encourages the crowd to join in. It was also becoming evident that the heavy touring schedule may have strained Ravens, usually powerfully melodic vocal cords.
New track You And My Addiction showcased the frontman’s silky smooth vocals, with hit track Saints and Sinners bringing in the crowd and Raven pushing through and showing off his vocal brilliance. The crowd sounded like they were double the size with the display of passion they had for the band on stage.
They kept the blend of old and new playing through tracks Make Believe, the chilled vibes of Alchemist, Me Because of You, and Flowers. The room was literally jumping with Buying Time, but it was the usually vocally epic track Amelie that Raven’s voice issues were plain as day. He apologised to the crowd and promised to return with his voice in full force. The crowd honestly didn’t seem to care, happy to sing along with the band, Raven changing key to keep the music flowing. The band well and truly played with every bit of energy they had; the frontman didn’t stand still once, keeping the crowd enthralled.
They ended the set with ‘Talk Talk’ opening track Madly Badly Fixed, massive streaming hit Summer is A Curse and their more recent smash, The Hills.
The band showed a ‘perform at all costs’ tenacity throughout the show, another reason why I am sure The Faim are bound for much bigger things.
The Faim are Josh Raven (vocals), Stephen Beerkens (bass/keyboard), Samuel Tye (guitar), and Linden Marissen (drums).
‘Talk Talk’ is available worldwide now, via BMG
THE FAIM
‘TALK TALK’ AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Tickets available now at www.thefaim.com
FRI 22 JUL | NEWCASTLE HOTEL, MULUBINBA/NEWCASTLE, NSW
SAT 23 JUL | THE LANSDOWNE HOTEL, EORA/SYDNEY, NSW
SUN 24 JUL | LA LA LA’S, WOOLYUNGAH/WOLLONGONG, NSW
FRI 29 JUL | TRANSIT BAR, NGAMBRI/CANBERRA, ACT
SAT 30 JUL | EVELYN HOTEL, NAARM/MELBOURNE, VIC
SUN 31 JUL | ENIGMA BAR, KAURNA/ADELAIDE, SA
With thanks to Good Intent
