Heading to Jive for the second time this weekend, I was welcomed to a different crowd of people. Tonight the place seemed to be filled with a more carefree vibe. I guess that's the kind of power The Jungle Giants have over most people.
The Universal are an indie-rock band made up of 4 guys, residing in Melbourne. The Universal definitely look universal to say the least. My first thought when they appeared on stage was that they look like a group made up of 4 different stereotypes who seem to fit perfectly with one another. The front man held a slight resemblance to Arctic Monkeys lead singer Alex Turner, both physically and vocally. He was also rocking a superb hair quiff.
If you can, toucan. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. They must get that a lot. I dig the name though. Toucan are an indie-pop duo from Sydney. The lead singer Jess has this awesome husk going on when she talks which also shines through when she sings. I really enjoyed the first few songs, but as the set continued I found that some of the songs sounded very similar to each other and I couldn’t distinguish one from the other. Shea, the keyboard player was clearly having a good time. During their entire set he was smiling and laughing to himself, I found myself forgetting about the rest of the band members because I was entranced by his happiness.
Ten minutes before arriving to Jive I managed to fall down a small flight of stairs, which isn’t surprising since the last time I went to Jive I fell down their stairs, or should I say I fell down the one step they happen to have. The point is; I was in a lot of pain by the time The Jungle Giants took to the stage. Let me set the scene for you: my knee bone was popping out. That being said, being the trooper that I am, I tried to stand up for as long as I could for The Jungle Giants, but unfortunately I had to sit down for a few songs and give my knee a rest.
This gave me time to focus on them vocally, without being able to clearly see what was happening. Tips for all you gig lovers: if you happen to be taller than the average male, please don’t stand at the front. You’re ruining it for everybody. Same goes for girls who wear high buns. I’m all for a good bun, but please I would like to be able to see the band, not your birds nest.
Let’s get back to business. The Jungle Giants are insane live. I wasn’t expecting the show to be as energetic as it was. Cesira, the guitar player is an absolute knockout. She immediately made her way into my top 5 girl crushes. Her long straight hair flowed as she smashed it on the guitar, taking a swig from her beer whenever she could. Lead singer Sam Hales was vocally on point. The Jungle Giants busted out hits such as “Mr Polite”, “No One Needs To Know” and they even smashed out a Band of Skulls cover. They seemed to be really enjoying themselves, I just wanted to jump on stage with them, have a few drinks and a have a good time with them!
Toucan joined The Jungle Giants on stage for the final song “She’s a Riot”. It was the best performance of the night, hands down. Several people started crowd surfing, and someone threw their drink on stage which ended up splashing all over the band, majority of it of Cesira. One thing I wasn’t expecting at a Jungle Giants gig was to see people crowd surfing, but once they appear on stage, you can’t help but join in the fun and dance along to every song. It’s hard to stand still while watching them work their magic.
There’s definitely something about The Jungle Giants, blink and you’ll miss them.
