Review – Perfect Tripod: Australian Songs
I’ve been a fan of Tripod for quite some time, but have never seemed to be able to make it to a show of theirs. A friend of mine in high school had a copy of their ‘Tosswinkle the Pirate’ VHS and we watched it so much, the tape wore out. Thus was the dangers of rampant fandom before the DVD changeover.
Needless to say, my hopes (and possibly dreams) for the ‘Perfect Tripod: Australian Songs’ show were relatively high. Lucky for me, Tripod know what they’re doing. Eddie Perfect’s alright, too, I guess.
The show is simple, a collection of Australian songs performed a cappella. Or, mostly a cappella in some cases. There is banter, there are jokes built in to their musical arrangements, but it is largely a concert and it is glorious.
The biggest strength of the group is that their voices are distinct, yet complementary. At any point of a song, you can pick out who is singing what, but there was not a trace of dissonance between them. As a vocal group, this lot are, if you’ll excuse me, perfect.
The song selection is solid, with a good mix of songs that the audience is more likely to know and slightly more obscure tracks, particularly for the younger audience members. It’s also a good reminder that, despite what the charts might tell you, Australians have had their share of damn good songwriters.
I can certainly sympathise with the strain this show puts on the quartet’s vocal chords, but if there is one criticism I have of it, it’s that it’s not long enough.
