Formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1986, six-piece Afghan Whigs are one of the best bands you’ve never heard of. With a unique take on alternative rock and soul, this is a band way ahead of their time.
Over the space of six albums, they garnered an ardent cult following before disbanding in 2001. Having reformed last year, the band graced Australian shores for the first time as part of this year’s Splendour In The Grass lineup. The diehard fans were out in full force with some travelling all the way from Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and, er… Tasmania for this concert.
Ably supported by local yahoos Royston Vasie, the night kicked off in fine style with this rather hirsute and rowdy four piece. Having obviously grown up on a staple diet of The Stooges, MC5 and Radio Birdman, this was a welcome start for the gathering crowd. At one point, they even had their own answer to Bez from The Happy Mondays shaking a tambourine for all he was worth!
Kicking off with the crunching ‘Crime Scene’, Afghan Whigs put on a truly compelling and remarkable performance. Front and centre was guitarist/singer Greg Dulli. He is, without a doubt, one of the most magnetic frontmen in music. You couldn’t take your eyes off of him during the band’s set. He is also armed with one of the most striking voices ever, with a range that can go from a raspy, soul-influenced croon to a truly almighty wail that can pin you to the back wall of the venue. Dulli’s voice sounds even more impressive live than on record.
Afghan Whigs isn’t just about one man though. The rest of the band complement each other beautifully. Every musical element fits together seamlessly. Never was this more evident than on the utterly sublime ‘When We Two Parted/Over My Dead Body’. Sometimes a moment happens with music, whether it is recorded or live, where the world around you stops and you are completely entranced by and lost in what you are hearing. This song was that moment tonight.
Other high points included ‘See And Don’t See’, with Dulli at his most romantic, literally walking through the crowd and singing to some of the female punters. With a strong love of cover versions, the band did sensational versions of both the Frank Ocean track, ‘Love Crimes’ and – surprisingly – ‘One Day’ by The Church. They also managed to interweave the climax of the classic Prince track ‘Purple Rain’ into their own song, ‘Faded’, which closed out the main part of the set.
Make no mistake, not only was this one of the finest gigs of 2012, it was one of the most intense, astounding and powerful that this scribe has seen in a very, very long time. Similar to when The Pixies first toured our shores some years ago, this was the type of gig that has people speaking in tongues about how special it was.
– Neil Evans.
