It’s been a long time coming what with postponements and reschedules but the tour with Sydney guitar-wizard PLINI finally made it’s way across Australia and landing in Perth on Thursday night at the always fun Badlands Bar. Prog fans turned up in droves to witness the axeman and his band do their thing and put on a show for fans who had been waiting patiently in the last 2 years. And a show is exactly what they got.
Locals Yomi Ship kicked off the night to a strong turnout early on and put on their spacey and at times jazz tinged progressive instrumentals. The 3 piece sounded solid and were precise in their instrumentation despite the elongated passages of music they churned out. Varying degrees of psychedelic nuances and prog elements were on hand as they whipped through a short but entertaining set.
By the time Plini hit the stage the crowd had filled the room to the brim which is a good sign that people are hungry for live music again. While the locals have been keeping the live scene alive this past 2 years, it’s another thing to see a more high profile act performing in front of a packed crowd.
The latest album “Impulse Voices” may have been shuffled under the rug during the chaos of 2020 and putting this tour on an extended hiatus but some of the songs were still given it’s due diligence and deservingly so. The new stuff sounded fantastic with that live sound really giving the songs some extra punch, making the band sound a bit heavier than on record.
That’s a trademark of Plini though and heard through out the set with older tracks making their mark, fans alike recognising and acknowledging them as they are presented in a sea of lights amongst a chilled but curiously enlightened vibe. The progressive styles are really made apparent with the visual side of things, just being able to see the band members pull out all kinds of tricks to give the songs justice brings it to a whole other level. Jaws dropped and eyes wide open, everyone was dazzled by the show as Plini brought the house down with every brilliant performance of the setlist.
One of the highlights was the chance to see each individual member on stage be given the spotlight as they showcased a little solo action from their end, particularly drummer Chris Allison who slayed it with his epic drum solo mid-way through the show. As talented as Plini himself is, credit must also be given to the rest of the band who aren’t exactly slouches with their instruments.
Ending things with “Electric Sunrise”, tonight was a fantastic night of real progressive music. Instrumentals might not be to everyone’s taste but there is no denying the power of the music that is the key to any good song and Plini certaintly showed that in Perth.
Photos by Linda Dunjey Photography
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