It was a few years back that my ears first caught wind of The Drones and the enigmatic front-man that is Gareth Liddiard. The album was Havilah, making me a somewhat late starter when it came to Drone discovery. Regardless, I’ve spent the years since acquainting myself with their back catalogue, not to mention Gareth and drummer Mike Noga’s recent solo releases, and would these days regard myself a semi-fanatical fan. I say semi, because they’re the kind of band that have the ability to invoke fanaticism at will (what up, Rodgie). And all this before ever seeing them play.
Gareth’s raspy and raw vocals convey such wild emotion and intensity I could barely conceive of the scene that might unfold at a live show. I imagined a Tasmanian Devil of sorts, swirling around the stage, spitting his lyrical narratives like a man possessed while the crowd (and possibly his fellow band members) looked on, captivated. Turns out my imagination painted a pretty accurate picture, and as they walked on stage and kicked off with “The Best You Can Believe In”, it was clear we were in for a memorable night.
The Drones blur the lines between a rockin’ punk sound and the melancholy of profound, moving ballads. Throughout the night they whipped the crowd into a frenzy during tracks like “Never Want to Change”, then captivated us to the point where you could hear a pin drop for all 10 minutes of the epic narrative that is “Sixteen Straws”; the first of two songs they play as an encore.
Other highlights include “Cold and Sober” and “Luck in Odd Numbers” from Havilah, and “Sitting on the Edge of the Bed Crying” from Wait Long by the River. As Adalita joins the band on stage for the final track of their encore – a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Oh Sister” – I can feel my semi-fanaticism taking the next step forward. Goodbye Hi-Fi, hello new obsession.
Words and Photos: Nick Lawrence