There is a lot of love for Methyl Ethel in Melbourne — three back to back sold out shows at one of the city’s most magical establishments The Night Cat is a big hint at the scope of fandom present. Methyl Ethel, the project of West Australian polymath Jake Webb, has morphed from a solo bedroom project into a six-piece live band, with now four albums and three EPs under their belt. As a band, they’ve played internationally renowned stages including SXSW, Field Day UK, CMJ, and pretty much every major Aus festival too, so a tight live set is to be expected.
The audience trickled in early Wednesday evening for the first of three shows, ready to see the support act, Ash Baroque & Les Fleurs d’Ombre, whose absence of a Spotify account intrigued me. What transpired caught me off guard in the most spectacular fashion — a two part drag/pantomime performance art piece, with bold characters dressed in Victorian garb taking turns under the spotlight to explore macabre spoken word, dramatic operatics, and mad gesticulating. It was equal parts bat-shit crazy and thoroughly entertaining. One particular member gave off deranged Dumbledore energy, and as a huge Harry Potter fan, I really got around that.
The mixed-bag crowd reflected Webb’s career milestones, which have spanned over a decade, from day-one fans in their 30s, to the fresh-faced triple j lovers responsible for getting songs off the latest record ‘Are You Haunted?’ on high rotation. The new LP was recorded in a studio build by Webb’s late high school friend, producer Brian Mitra — the same place that Webb recorded his 2013 debut EP ‘guts’ in. It’s this history that unfolds in the album’s duality — dark, haunting themes despite arguably being Methyl Ethel’s most danceable record to date.
Taking a purist approach, the band played through the entire record in chronological order, challenging the crowd with some of the lesser-known singles on the release, and inviting all through the album’s genre-transcending journey across highs and lows. The Night Cat’s centre-floor stage, allowing audiences on all sides, seemed custom made for the band that night. Their guitarist had been struck with, as Webb endearingly shared, “the dreaded curse”, and so they played as a five piece — Webb at the centre, flanked by his four companions, one on each corner, all wearing matching white boilers suits like the ones worn in the Stella Donnelly-featuring”Proof” video clip.
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With one member down, the expertise of each player present was magnified, the two drummers, keyboardist, and bass guitarist working in perfect synchronicity to make each song feel as full as originally intended. Webb even played bass for the guitar-led “Something to Worry About”, subbing their bassist in on guitar, reminding everyone that when it comes to music, there’s nothing he can’t do.
From the middle of the stage, Webb worked the room, his theatrical gesticulating seeming to conduct the crowd through the ebbs and flows of the record. Even through slower numbers like “Kids on Holiday” and “In a Minute, Sublime”, his energy remains high and enchanting. On “Neon Cheap”, the audience’s emphatic chants almost drowned him out . Without spoiling the rest of the setlist, I can confirm that he did play several older favourites after the album’s completion. “Ubu” arrived an explosive closer, the million dollar question “Why’d you have to go and cut your hair?” belted out back at Webb from every corner.
In an interview earlier this year, Webb told Best Before, “When we tour, that’s when the exciting stuff happens — once you’re rolling in the atmosphere… that’s what’s so special about live shows. It’s part of a time that will disappear into the air after that night, and that is the best part for me every night, that you’re really up there playing, almost summoning something. That’s a big part of what the experience of music, for me, is all about. Just that kind of trance.” And his first stop in Melbourne certainly achieved that.