The Melbourne based electronic group Black Cab had their single launch for Take It at the Corner Hotel on Saturday, May 11th. Nestled in the bustling eastern suburb of Richmond, Black Cab treated the audience to an ethereal night of thick synths and drowned, deep vocals.
The house was packed all the way to the bar and the energy of the room simmered underneath strobes of dark reds and blues. The city skyline backdrop to the set gave the crowd a place to travel while Black Cab focused on creating a lowkey atmosphere.
The transitions between songs were hardly noticeable due to the driving, arpeggiated synths in each track and overall mistiness of each tune. At times this caused the show to border on mundane, but the crowd never lost its energy. In the centre of the crowd and closer to the front, there were many people dancing along to the never-ending thump of the bass.
All the night needed was a little more interaction with the fans. At live shows, I look forward to getting to know an artist. I left the show feeling like I knew nothing more than I did before. It’s not the end of the world, but I think it would have elevated their performance and connection with the audience.
For those of you unfamiliar with Black Cab, think about this line vocalist Andrew Coates sings from Take It:
“We’re only going to waste it, so why don’t you just take it?”
This small, but undeniably impactful, quote is not only a commentary on the consumerist society we are living in but a testament to Black Cab’s persona. While enjoying their show I felt no expectations. No pressure to receive the music in a certain way. So here’s my reiteration of their lyric.
“They’re going to play it, so why don’t you just listen?”
Stream Take It HERE.
