I’m a believer that January is always full of good things in the Northern Rivers region of the East Coast. After the inevitable craziness that is the Christmas period, everyone comes out of their
temporary state of hibernation. Music, food, wine and love flow freely through the streets and mythical beings ascend into the realm of the Byron shire and beyond.
Que the arrival of South Coast Indie/Psych/Rock trio Dos Enos, who are here with their Wild Unicorns
tour, which features tracks from their first EP Jaspers Brush as well as new music from the up-and-coming EP and the aptly named latest single Unicorns.
Dos Enos worked with Jervis Bay based producer Syd Green on the production of the latest record and alongside fellow Green stable-mates, Nicole Brophy and Shelley-May, delighted an intimate crowd at Brisbane͛s
The Bearded Lady in the West End on Wednesday night in the lead up to their Byron Show on Friday.
Suitably bearded for the occasion, Dos Enos’Â contribution to the mid-week Brisbane music scene was
as awesome as any live gig the city has to offer and having never played on Brisbane turf before, the
group were especially enthusiastic to make their mark. Shelley-May kicked off with a provoking, soul-moving performance which proved that physical stature does not account for emotional punch. Her slight figure ever-deceiving the incredible depth and power of her voice. With a body of beautifully written original songs, Shelley-May is still mid-recording her first EP but her live sets are worth witnessing. Following on, Nicole Brophy (of Kate Miller-Heike and Dirty Lucy fame) set the stage on fire with a distinctly grungy, rock and roll set that perfectly suited the Melbourne style, low-light, graffiti-clad walls of West End venue.
Combining her raucous, rock-chick vibe with a softer, honey soaked sound, Nicole moved with her usual effortless swagger through a selection of her latest material including the new single EmptyTin, which features on the
up-and-coming album, also recorded by Syd Green.
With two quality performances to follow, Dos Enos took to the stage with a short, but very sweet set
of rousing psychedelic rock tunes that eloquently show-cased the obvious talent of the band.
Guitarist Matt Unwin delved into a magic box of electric guitar licks and powerful riffs which combined with a fusion of funky, explorative jazz sounds from keyboard player Luke Hannaford.
Lead vocalist and drummer Jo Winkler provided a smooth sounding song that gradually morphed into a roaring crescendo of gravelly, rock vocals and a hyperkinetic drum explosion that sent the crowd into a rock and roll craze.
These guys, although still relatively unknown, have had a great response from audiences up anddown the coast, with Triple J airplay and rave reviews around the country. They’re definitely onto something and if you get the chance to catch them on their Wild Unicorns tour then make sure you do – the crowds will be queuing up soon.
