Peabody & Intercooler - The East Brunswick Club

The recently expanded and invigorated Peabody have an unhealthy obsession with their guitars. Swapping backwards and forwards after pretty much every song, the band have a guitar tech beside the stage who does nothing but tune their guitars for them, but the band still insist on double checking tuning before commencing each song, putting the dampeners on any inter song banter aside for the pleasantries. Initially it’s amusing and charming, as the set continues the habit becomes somewhat annoying and the temptation to shout ‘Get on with it!√Æ becomes very strong indeed. So it’s a good job the band have a set chocker full of brilliant and finely crafted songs. Songs of incredible depth and texture, clever and carefully constructed layers of melodies, interesting unyet uplifting, deep unyet exciting and exhilarating. Full and rich guitars set over solid bass lines, powerful drums and Bruno Brayovic’s heartfelt vocals searing through the mix. The band take the bold stance of playing an entire set of new songs from their forthcoming album that frustrates Peabody’s old school fans in the crowd, but to new listeners it’s an emotionally charged set, full of dynamics and solid delivery. It’s been a tough year for the band, but they seem happy to be back and the crowd are happy to have them back. The East Brunswick club is fairly empty tonight, perhaps due to the Holiday weekend, perhaps due to other gigs and events and after Peabody’s set the venue empties even further. Intercooler take to the stage looking like a generic Indie-Rock band, and unsurprisingly they sound like one to. You can tell where the songs are going from the second they start, there are no surprises; it’s all been done before. There’s nothing being said, no inventiveness, nothing new, the band don’t even look that interested in what they’re doing, relying on Rock charm to carry them through their set. Intercooler make little pretence at being anything more than a Pop Rock band and it’s gained them much commercial success and recognition, it’s just a shame that this style of bland rock with no presence or character is always so bloody popular, or is it? The venue is not exactly busy and as someone commented the day before the gig, ‘Are they (Intercooler) still going?√Æ

Published in InPress