Transcontinental almost-buzz-band, The Acid, embarked on their Australian tour this week ahead of their spot at Splendour in the Grass. Privy to their festival warm-up was the fervent mass at Goodgod, shaking off their midweek blues.
The three-piece opened their set delicately, with a deep, low rumble emanating throughout the room. As it grew, gentle music box notes dropped in to mark ‘Tumbling Lights’, off their debut album, Liminal.
Their music, laced with heavy ambient sounds and electronic distortion, undoubtedly creates an atmosphere, as is evident on their album. Unfortunately, when performed live its novelty and magnetism has a lifespan shorter than that of their setlist, resulting in a kind of monotony.
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LA-via-Byron Bay’s Ry X has a stunning falsetto that juxtaposes well with the band’s deeper, darker beats and basslines. Beginning more gently, the pace of the night picks up with Creeper, its beat reminiscent of 90s techno, before the trio get into the already acclaimed single, Fame.
Sweet, arpeggiated electro notes build like bubbles into a thick, catchy chorus, as the young and enthusiastic crowd swayed and rocked in time.
Announcing it was their first show outside of Europe, Ry X told the room that this night was “really special for me”, having moved away from his homeland years ago. The fans hang off his every word, spoken or sung, letting out great cheers as each track begins, though their zeal gradually peters out past each halfway point.
Ghost’ touches more heavily on techno and house, with an ominous, thumping beat carrying Ry X’s hypnotic whispers, expressing “I wanna touch your ghost”. It seamlessly blends into a cover/sample of Rui Da Silva’s Touch Me in the Morning, so briefly and subtly that it may have gone unnoticed by many.
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As the evening wound up, undeniable stand-out and crowd favourite, Basic Instinct, is a high point. Drawing less on synths and more on a steady guitar riff, this suits them, and it is hard not to think of another indie, minimalist, bass-heavy outfit; the xx. Ry X’s final wailing as his accompaniment dies down is beautiful and almost tribal.
The gig closes on the atmospheric ‘Ra’, its gentle vocals not unlike that of José González, as the frontman instructed the audience to “cuddle up and get real emotional”.
There is definitely something wonderful about The Acid, and they have produced an album destined for high rotation in a lot of places. Whilst their music is ethereal, hypnotic and universal, there is still an energy lacking in their live performance, which is unfortunate. It is early days yet, and hopefully just a matter of time before we see something truly exciting on their stage.
