The Red Paintings @Bar Broadway, Sydney 6 june
I'm tempted to describe this band as an "acquired taste", but I might get arrested for impersonating a music journo, (or a schizophrenic food critic). So I'll just say The Red Paintings, from Brisbane, do take a little time to digest, and one may be forgiven for thinking they were from a country, or planet, that we never knew existed.
Their music is different, but fascinating all the same. Donning heavy make-up, Kimonos, wigs, robot appendages, and blasting out a feast of guitar, violin, cello, bass & drums, The Red Paintings can be hard to take in all at once.
They slowly drag you away from the bar, lure you in, and slam the door behind you. Their haunting lyrics and arrangements play games with your head until Stockholm Syndrome finally creeps in. I couldnt blink, let alone tap my feet. By the encore I was totally fucking mesmerised. These guys could have told me to have sex with the cigarette machine, and i would have, transformed out of all recognition.
And then a glorius chorus (i think it was a chorus?) springs out of nowhere, opens the curtains and lets the light pour in! That split second at a live show where you become so overwhelmed with inspiration you wouldnt wish for anything else in the world, totally consumed in the moment.
After an epic outro had finished dangling me around like a puppet, I eventually took control of my own legs, and walked outside with the highest regard for The Red Paintings. One of those spooky experiences when you can't quite figure out what just happened to you, and why you can't stop smiling. I checked my body for strange marks and felt for any signs of probing, then looked up at the stars wondering who or what put me here.
It may take a good listen, but I highly recommend you sit in a dark corner, and let The Red Paintings take control for a while.

listen:
The Red Paintings - Wall
more mp3s on their website & myspace
buy new EP here

Labels: The Red Paintings, Tom