Methyl Ethel, one of Australia’s most exciting art/indie rock band, made their way to Atlanta’s Little Five Points district last Tuesday. The band is composed of Jake Webb, Thom Stewart, Chris Wright, Jacob Diamond and Lyndon Blue. Methyl Ethel has two EPs and three full length albums.
Their newest album,”Triage,” is a dark, bass-heavy, goth-pop synth influenced album. With a blend of psychedelic and indie rock, “Triage,” is truly an album like no other. Jake Webb’s feminine lead vocals adds to the unique sound that Methyl Ethel presents.
Methyl Ethel’s albums are vivid and compelling, filled with a collection of many different sounds, making Methyl Ethel its own creature, separate from the rest of the indie rock genre.
The beginning of their set was a cacophony of noise. Each member seemed to be just mindlessly playing their instrument until it all blended into one uniform sound. The audience stood, anxiously waiting for the first song to start. This went on for what seemed like forever, which kept the audience on their toes, until finally, the first song began. The audience immediately started to dance to the ambient song.
Every member of the band performed in their own unique way while playing their instruments. Jake Webb seemed to be putting on a play or displaying a piece of art, rather than just a set list of songs. Lyndon Blue, the band member with a mullet, showed off his more subtle dance moves throughout the set.
Chris Wright seemed to be nearly out of breath by the time he finished drumming. Jacob Diamond, the guitarist, was more excited to be on stage than the lead singer, who was more theatrical. Diamond was constantly smiling and dancing eagerly. Thom Stewart sported a cowboy hat while he played the keys with a carefree manner.
There was not one silent moment in the set. If the band wasn’t playing, then Jake Webb was singing or making some odd noise from the stage. If Webb wasn’t singing, then the band was playing their instruments while he walked around. The crowd was constantly waiting to see what the band would do next. Webb even did what seemed like a live poetry act while the band played softly in the background.
Webb’s dance moves seemed like a theatrical performance, falling on the floor, dancing around the stage, playing with the neck of his guitar up in the air, singing from places in which the audience could not find him. He would flail around stage, and someone would cheer him on from the audience like he was performing a choreographed routine. Everyone was captivated by Methyl Ethel.
The crowd was dancing to the dreamy melodies blasting through the speakers. Each person was screaming the lyrics along with the band. They would cheer when sonic whooshes from the bass shook the building. With such a small crowd, it felt like it was just a group of friends sitting around listening to their friends play music.
This small show at Aisle 5 quickly turned into an intense display of Methyl Ethel’s creativity. The show felt like a dream sequence, with the glittery pop and psychedelic rock sounds intertwining with the new wave and dreamy disco soundscape.
At the end of the show, Webb invited the crowd up on the stage to “sing to no one, together.” Everyone hurried to the stage, careful not to break any equipment, and everyone just danced and sang together on stage, singing to no one but the opening act, the “sound guy,” and the friends of the band who were on tour.
It was an experience so intimate and silly to be standing up on stage with this Australian band and with 20 other Atlantians. After the show ended, the members of the band walked around the venue and talked to everyone that was in the crowd.
