Who: Architecture In Helsinki

Where: Bar On The Hill, Newcastle Uni

When: 29^th of August

There were two reasons I jumped at the chance to review Architecture in Helsinki’s (AIH) show at the iconic ‘Bar On The Hill’ in Newcastle last Friday night:

1. Bar On The Hill is an excellent venue; nestled deep (maybe a little too deep) in the heart of Newcastle University and built on top of a rather impressive mound of dirt– it’s a usual target for great, Australian bands as they tour the East Coast.

2. AIH are fantastically fun ^TM and having released new album ‘Moment Bends’ earlier this year after a four year hiatus, I was keen to see the new material played live.

Keen as a metaphorical bean, I left the Getmusic offices in Sydney on schedule and caught my usual train home to Gosford. Unfortunately, the twisted finger of fate would have it my train delayed indefinitely due to a prior train colliding with a car. Rude... didn’t they know I had places to be? Two car trips later and a few favours owed I managed to get to Newcastle incredibly late at 10:30pm.

I managed to miss all supports – including New Zealand’s Cut Off Your Hands, and arrived literally minutes before AIH hopped on stage. The first things you notice about the inside of the Bar on the Hill are the high ceilings and extensive collection of cobwebs that have nested in between the light fittings that dangle menacingly above.

AIH took to the stage at 10:34 with great applause and it was clear that the colour of the day was blue; blue shirts, pants, a dress and an impressive blue suit jacket. Was it an intentional throwback to the great use of blue on their latest album cover? We’ll never know, or maybe we will; but probably not.

I can count and pictures later confirm a total of three synthesizers on stage – just enough to recreate the myriad of samples and effects that fill the album. That Beep is an instant crowd stirrer and the weird and catchy melody pricks the ears of those fans who hadn’t yet heard the new material. Moments later, a loop transcends and the band ditches their instruments in favour of doing a synchronised line dance! Epic.

The new material sounds great when translated from a studio to the stage and standout tracks included Contact High, Escapee and a brilliant cover of I’ve Been Thinking About You by London Beat for an encore!

There are a few tour dates remaining in Adelaide, Cairns and Brisbane – so if you can make it along, do!

But don’t be late.

Ryan, Getmusic