Spector at Scala

Spector, the rockers behind Chevy Thunder and Never Fade Away, enflamed the overheated Scala theatre last night with an uplifting set of classics.

Frontman Fred Macpherson burst out in all his geeky glory to belt out an eclectic mix of the band’s tracks, both old and new. A couple of vocal hiccups did not deter him in the least from his performance – it only encapsulated the group’s bona fide awkward charm to a tee.

And what would a Spector gig be without a dip or ten into the crowd? The lead singer spent half the night in and out of the fawning masses at the foot of the stage. When he wasn’t gripping a fan’s hands and gazing into her eyes, he was crowd-surfing or losing his glasses to an overzealous dancer in the front row.

The five-piece kicked off somewhat gingerly, exhausted after a week of gigging. The audience’s energy soon took them over, though, and they dug into the cheeky Stay High with a rush of enthusiasm. The momentum carried on throughout the show, with tasteful variations in dynamics and rhythm.

Macpherson’s witty, clearly audible lyrics provided the performance with an extra layer of entertainment: “Some of your best friends are Tories, I still lie to people, you still speak in allegories,” he declared to the tune of their recent release Fine Not Fine. 

The indie ensemble’s newest recruit, drummer Nicolas Py, was the super glue that held the well-oiled machine of masterful songwriting and delivery together. He erupted into action in Tenner, crashing savagely and accurately into every beat and taking both band and audience along with him.

The audience, needless to say, hung onto Spector’s every note. There was not a hint of hostility in the sweaty, overcrowded room. Wherever you looked, somebody was singing or swaying along with a goofy smile on their face – not to mention the roaring mass at the front who chanted every word of Local International with the vocalist while cans of beer flew passionately through the air.

The fivesome didn’t mess around with contrived encores, and instead arranged an instrumental interlude where the four musicians engaged in funky dialogue before Macpherson reappeared onstage to dance alongside his bandmates.

When the British band signed off with All the Sad Young Men, it wound down the evening to a pleasant end, albeit a questionable one. Celestine would have made for a more grandiose finale, had they listened to their own advice: “Even I know when the curtain falls it’s time to leave the stage.” 

Spector’s show was perhaps not quite seamless, but the good outweighed the dubious by a long shot and the audience was left buzzing by the end of a satisfyingly long set.

Jennifer Sanin
Photo: Lucy-Beth Munday

For further information and future events visit Spector’s website here.

Watch the video for Fine Not Fine here: