This Is It: The Strokes main Splendor set is anything but sloppy - triple j

If you believe recent overseas reports, it appears that it was the bumpy road The Strokes have taken to Splendor In The Grass that hit the spotlight on Saturday night.

Earlier this month, it was hard to ignore the headlines about frontman Julian Casablancas. “worrying”“behavior and” “an insult to the crowd” at international festivals. Some even speculated if they wanted “witnessed the end of The Strokes” in TRNSMT Scotland.

This sparked concerns over whether The Strokes – which have claimed to be on the verge of exploding for years – would even make it Down Under. Or maybe indulge the Splendor crowd with some weird banter, a loose cover, or something more spicy.

This kind of drama is often an ingredient in era-defining band stories. But as is often the case, the rumors of their deaths were exaggerated.

The Strokes are here, and in short, they sound really great.

From the jump, the instantly recognizable five-part sound was as crisp as ever, showing no signs of touring wear. They just stagger and snag everywhere they should – like the vaguely threatening ‘Juicebox’ or the broken ‘Heart In A Cage’.

The Strokes are New York City’s bona fide music royal family. They helped kick off the ’00s indie rock revival with their seminal 2001 debut album Is this. This is arguably the benchmark they have been measuring ever since.

Unsurprisingly, the album provided the biggest and most resonant moment on the setlist.

The cool ‘Someday’, the stylized ‘Hard To Explain’, the brawling ‘Take It Or Leave It’ — it’s hard to fault songs that are so entrenched in indie rock songbooks.

The rain politely endured through the night, enhancing the blinding light and video display that made full use of it being ‘Under Cover of Darkness’ (as the song was missing from tonight’s set).

‘Reptilia’ was another big moment, with the band being flooded with the green light (naturally) and it was great to see guitarists Albert Hammond Jnr (very designed as always) and Nick Valensi play all those famous riffs back and forth. You know it’s a hit when the crowd sings the guitar hook as loud as the vocals.

Albert Hammond Jr. very suitable(Russell Privett / triple j)

Meanwhile, Casablancas doesn’t do much showboating but still attracts attention with his singing.

The vocalist has a cool reputation for swaggering DGAF style, but he’s really focused on tonight’s incredible vocal performance: eyes closed, adjusting the tone of his voice to match the recorded version. There’s nothing sloppy about his presence… just his awkward stage banter.

“Was it Dolly Parton who said you couldn’t have a little rainbow without rain?” he asked from the start. Then he canceled attempts to “sincerely and sadly apologize for all the mess with the storm, mud, and cancellations and whatever.”

“To all that matters, I hope you all enjoy tomorrow. Tyler will be lovely,” he added halfheartedly.

The band doesn’t move much. But then again, they sound fantastic. A stark contrast to the action antics on the same stage before, such as Glass Animals and Jungle Giants, which made the audience work hard.

It’s easy to interpret as disinterest – Casablancas’ approach couldn’t be more counter-intuitive to Jack Harlow’s enchanting strike a few hours earlier.

Instead, The Strokes rely solely on their music – a stylish sound that doesn’t lose its power despite being old and outdated.

Their slick, era-defining voices are hard to imitate. There was a window in the early ’00s full of Strokes clones, but then the music trend continued while they stuck with it and went through changes.

The result means they have a timeless quality, mastering the domain they enter. It sucks to imagine how great the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were to some viewers who remember their first live exploits.

The Strokes frontman is committed to his vocal performance(Russell Privett / triple j)

The Strokes have done this slot before – they were titled Splendor in 2016 and 2010 – but the big difference is the newer material from the 2020s. New Abnormal.

The album, the group’s first in seven years and considered a return to form (by Billie Eilish at least), also won their first Grammy (for Best Rock Album 2021).

‘Bad Decisions’ is a great way to open a set, while ‘Adults Are Talking’ is a welcome addition. They also dipped in some First Impressions On Earth‘s best songs – ‘Heart In A Cage’ and ‘You Only Live Once’.

But smartly, they once again relied on the classics to get them to the finish line, complementing by returning to Is this‘Modern era’.

As the deathless ‘Last Nite’ rings through the night, amplified by nearly 30,000 gleeful voices, it’s a reminder that no matter The Strokes’ sometimes frustrating reputation as a live show, there’s a reason they stay near the top of the rolodex when festivals need to call headliners. .

After Splendor In The Grass, the NYC band played a side gig this weekend. Don’t miss them.

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