Shellac + Crooked Fiddle Band @ Triffid, 05.12.2015

The second day of Gigmas takes me to Triffid for Shellac. Famously Shellac never have a guest list, something I learnt last time they played in Brisbane with a show at The Zoo. It’s not so much the buying the ticket that’s ever the issue with bands I want to see, it’s more that I always want to photograph them. Although I saw them at The Zoo it was without a camera, something that I regret a bit as it isn’t ever day a band like Shellac played at The Zoo.

In the days leading up to the show I was undecided about whether I was going to go but made the happy mistake of listening to their latest album, 2014’s Dude Incredible and decided that I just had to go. Triffid being a camera friendly venue (so far), I also decided that I’d risk taking my camera and didn’t have any trouble at the door.

At $45, it’s a bargain, even more so in these times when Australian triple j landfill indie bands have started charging more than that for their shows. Another bonus is that there’s no extra charge for buying on the door.

I get there ridiculously early, as unlike other venues, Triffid don’t generally announce their set times. I went based on times for Future Island a few weeks back only to find I’m there about an hour before the support band. It’s long enough to get some food, which I’m sure is part of Triffid’s evil business plan in not publishing set times. It’s a strange mix of people – a combination of Brisbane’s indie rock scene holding counsel, people in Santa hats out on their work Xmas parties and the people in black and band t shirts who are obviously there for Shellac. I had hoped that the Brisbane indie crowd and the Xmas party people would surprise me by all being there to see Shellac but I don’t think it happened.

The Crooked Fiddle Band are a strange choice of support although probably one that works.

I make an amateur error when photographing the support band in that I change the camera setting to ISO 2000 to try to get some photos of the band’s drummer, who’s hiding at the back of the stage in the dark, and completely forget I’ve done this until I’ve moved away from the front after photographing a few of Shellac’s songs. As a result, the photos are nowhere near as detailed as I would have wanted. It would have also been better with a photo pit but there’s always next time and third time lucky.

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