Ten years have passed since Yeah Yeah Yeahs first touched down on Aussie shores. Treating a choice number of cities to Splendour sideshows, the New York indie rockers made up for lost time, with an incredible show at Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne. Playing to a packed out crowd, Yeah Yeah Yeahs shared a special moment with all – who knew this had been a long time coming.
Opening for the night was LA three-piece Automatic; consisting of Izzy Glaudini on synths, Halle Saxon on bass, and Lola Dompé on drums – with all sharing vocal duties. The trio’s post-punk sound made them the perfect fit for the night’s support; with the three cranking out catchy as anything songs, with plenty of experimental sci-fi beep-boops thrown in for good measure. Starting off with Skyscraper and NRG, Automatic set the tone quickly – this would be an opener that would stick around in your head for a while. With a slew of quirky electro-pop influenced tracks in their catalogue, it was the haunting Automaton and upbeat Too Much Money that were standouts in their set – making Automatic one of the more unique bands we’ve seen in a while.
Rolling onto the stage sans their frontwoman, guitarst Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs took a moment to take in the crowd before them, before Karen O made her grand entrance. In a busy, neon-printed jumpsuit, cape and tinselled opera gloves, Karen twirled her way onto the stage in a flurry of fringe. Kicking off the set with Spitting Off the Edge of the World from last year’s album Cool It Down, the band seamlessly transitioned into Cheated Hearts, which saw the audience erupt in screams. After Karen shed her cloak, it was time to kick things up a notch with classics Rich and the chaotic Art Star. Burning, from last year’s album Cool It Down, saw the stage awash in cool graphics, as the song soared and reached its climax.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs followed up quickly with Zero, pulling all punters in seats onto their feet for a dance; accompanied by giant inflatable eyeballs that were thrown into the crowd. Continuing the dance party was the synth-heavy Wolf, which was a personal standout track – with Karen even restarting the song to make sure the audience got the full YYY experience. Stopping the show so a fan in need of help could be pulled out of the heaving crowd, Karen exercised compassion, telling the fan ‘I’m here for you you’ until they were able to be helped out by security. It was possibly the longest we’ve seen an artist stop mid-set for, but respect where respect was due – the band showed that safety came first no matter what.
Picking up from where they left us, Soft Shock and Lovebomb slowed down the pace, before it was picked up for an energetic rendition of Sacrilege. The first few drum beats of Gold Lion ring out, and the audience collectively lose their minds as Yeah Yeah Yeahs put their all into their song; the arena singing along with every ‘ooh ooh’s. Seamlessly running into the definitive YYY’s love song, Karen dedicates Maps to band members parents, friends, and all the lovers in Melbourne. Closing the set could only be Heads Will Roll, which goes off with a bang of a confetti gun, and has the audience screaming for more.
Returning for their encore, Yeah Yeah Yeahs ended on a massive high with older tracks Y Control and Date With the Night; complete with flashback pics of the band, a mass singalong, and Karen O belting her microphone against the stage. How that microphone was still working afterwards is anyone’s guess. With our fingers crossed that it doesn’t take the Yeah Yeah Yeahs another ten years to come back to Melbourne, the band well and truly made it up to their loyal fans with a performance that will stay with us for a long time.
Photo Credit: Tim Lambert