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email: thelightbrigade@mail.com
If you'd read last week's demo of the week, sorry, cd of the week (that's right, Nic changed the title whilst I was away) you can see the dilemma giving guernseys to cds sent to us 2-3 years ago. Grots Vegas have split and, researching for this week's winner, so have The Light Brigade. Go to their website www.thelightbrigade.com.au and you get a sad The page cannot be found.
Which is a shame, as I rather liked The Light Brigade, so much so that I had four of the five songs on my iPod whilst going mad in Northern Europe. It was only the last song, with its angsty vocals, that didn't win me over. This might sound an odd description but they reminded me of a cross between Ben Lee and Cake mixed with a more commercial mathrock version of Pavement(?).
So this review seems a little bit...late. But if I was to bet money on whether The Light Brigade were still an ongoing concern or yesterday's Hopetoun middle spot I know my money would have been on the latter. Any band with a boyfriend/girlfriend couple and two brothers is a sure sign of trouble-a-brewin'. And that's who made up this band: Brooke Patterson on the bass, Shane Murphy on guitar/keys, Scott Mullane also on guitar/keys and Richard Mullane on drums and violin.
What stands out on their (extended play) cd is a high level of concern for rhythm, whether guitar or drums, and extra percussion. They even mention drums in at least two of the songs and there's a picture of a drumkit inside the booklet. Explaining my comparisons, it goes a little bit like this: Ben Lee - some of the melodies, Pavement - the slightly obscure lyrics, Cake - the acoustic guitar. Now mix all that up in a 'we're also quite serious about this' blender and you have my take on The Light Brigade.
Forming in early 2005 and relocating from Newcastle to Newtown in Sydney, the band played regular gigs at the Hopetoun, Spectrum and Candy's. And, according to their myspace with a poster advertising their last ever show on 16th March 2007 (gee, that was a long time ago we got sent this cd!), that's it. No more. And from what I could see - no forwarding band. And I, for one, would like to know if there is a sequel. -SH
PS...and I'd also like to know was it the love couple possibly breaking up or the sibling rivalry that ended the music?
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