Mention Rat & Co to the general populace and they might not know who you’re talking about – as soon as you say it’s the project of Chet Faker’s bass player, Josh Delaney, people quickly catch up. The key question when attending Transit Bar to see them play was whether this would overshadow them in any way – associations can either make or ruin an act.
Canberra’s own Cracked Actor fronted up first, the stage featuring people recognisable from other local bands – in true Canberra music scene style. Their set was awash with thick reverb-laden vocals, interesting time-signatures, rich drum sounds, and pop guitar.
It took a short amount of time to work out what was happening as Cracked Actor were packing up and two guys started playing music from side of the stage in a DJ set up. Was this just between-act entertainment? Turned out it was Deaf Cat, which became apparent as the calibre of their DnB/Glitch-hop set shone through. While they didn’t necessarily hold the attention of the crowd, and were accompanied by the sounds of the main act setting up, they provided a perfect background for conversation as their chilled beats made the audience groove.
After a brief and enthusiastic introduction, the stage was set for Melbourne-based Rat & Co to hit the audience with their intense multi-tracked vocal harmonies, driving bass and drums, and a typical Telecaster guitar sound.
The audience got a feeling of VIP status, when the band played two never-before-heard songs, Spring and Spring II, explaining afterwards that they were new songs destined for the upcoming album. They were great additions to the set and added an interesting dimension that is hopefully typical of the sound their third studio album will take on.
The band’s performance couldn’t really be described as flashy, but their high quality live music and effective use of building and layering engaged the audience, providing a high level of respect for their art. Rat & Co’s sound is versatile, and it floats between a proper band vibe and the genre they identify with – Intelligent Dance Music, or IDM.
They were one band member down (their guitarist in Vegas for a buck’s party) so their 80s Icehouse-like guitar sounds were less of a feature in his absence. However, their album sound was replicated adequately, with no obvious void anywhere to be seen.
Their track Nebula took off, with the bass line driving everyone along to the same beat. It led in to what was arguably a highlight of the night, The Farm – a perfect set finisher, which built from start to finish until it reached its peak and ended with a final ambient moment that left everyone reeling.
So are Rat & Co overshadowed by their involvement with Chet Faker? Highly unlikely. They seem to have found their own place in the world, and there is much anticipation for album Number Three.
