~ Decoder Ring ~


	2006 2005 2004 2003 30/12/02 Hyde Park World Music Festival, Sydney 13/12/02 Great Northern, Byron Bay 12/12/02 The Zoo, Brisbane 07/12/02 Homebake Festival, Sydney 09/11/02 The Empress, Melbourne 08/11/02 Revolver, Melbourne 01/11/02 Gaelic Club, Sydney 23/10/02 Hopetoun Hotel, Sydney 17/10/02 Prince Of Wales, Melbourne 30/09/02 Roma Room (Metro), Sydney 11/09/02 Hopetoun Hotel, Sydney 27/07/02 Hopetoun Hotel, Sydney 05/07/02 The Basement, Sydney 20/06/02 Roma Room (Metro), Sydney 02/06/02 Kelt's Bar, Blaxland 01/06/02 Roma Room (Metro), Sydney 17/05/02 Prince Of Wales, Melbourne 16/05/02 Prince Of Wales, Melbourne 20/04/02 The Metro, Sydney 19/04/02 The Metro, Sydney 13/04/02 Hopetoun Hotel, Sydney 11/01/02 Roma Room (Metro), Sydney 2001	09/11/02 The Empress, Melbourne Decoder Ring, Oneironnaut, Laura Dave H After the suitable sounds of Laura and Oneironnaut had sufficiently warmed up the crowd, Sydney's Decoder Ring took to the stage. With the stage plunged in darkness, which it would be for the entire show, the whirr of a 16mm projector filled the air as images filled the background. It has become increasingly common recently for many bands to wave the multi media flag, but in the case of DR it is a flag they can justly run up the flagpole. The images on display deftly echo the sounds emanating from the stage. Fresh from supporting Scottish noiseniks Mogwai, the Decoder boys are very much at the top of their game and are more than comfortable with the material they have, certainly one of the tightest bands this reviewer has seen for a while. Whipping up a tornado from the get go, the band opened with the shuffling beats of Superego from the recently released self-titled album. From their on in the band is in full control and are obviously enjoying every minute of it. The crowd was also not backwards in coming forward, as the throng pushed to the front of the stage, to get a closer look at the dynamic aural alchemists on show. Although tracks such as Welcome Shoppers and Snowstorm are sonically expansive, they easily fit into the comfortable environs of the Empress, lending them an intimacy hereby never seen. One particular highlight was when the band struck up Colossus, one of the few tracks on the album to feature vocals, when it was apparent no vocals were going to be forthcoming, one wag in the audience heckled the band. To which the band threw open the mike for anyone game to have a go at it. Lo and behold one punter obviously brave with the drink took up the challenge, to sterling effect and come the end came off to rapturous applause from both crowd and band. After a cataclysmic finale of White Tiger where one could see the boys had picked up a few pointers from Mogwai on frenzied dynamics it was over. This was an album launch both to savour and remember. In a recent review of the bands album it was said, "I can only begin to imagine what these guys sound like live". Well hopefully now he knows, they sound very fuckin' nice. http://www.theempresshotel.com.au/review.htm