Live at Bar Bodega, 20/07/13

It’s been pretty hard to ignore all the hype about Unknown Mortal Orchestra (or UMO as all the cool kids are calling them). If you’d managed to ignore music media, failed to read any music blogs, took no interest in SXSW this year, then you might have just pulled it off. So it was no surprise that Wellington’s Bar Bodega was jam packed full of kids ready to rock out to ex-Mint Chick Ruban Nielson and friends.

First up was Las Tetas, an Auckland three-piece playing rough indie rock with a dash of punk – I was reminded a little bit of Hole, if Courtney Love had been more interested in just rocking out than getting wasted and making a dick of herself. And these girls know how to rock; the already substantial crowd was getting right into it, with plenty of dancing and banter with the band.

But it was clearly UMO’s night, and that was who the crowd were there to see, whipping themselves into a frenzy, and some even managing to faint before the band started. A few technical difficulties meant that the band started later than planned, which led to some false alarms as various roadies and techs appeared on stage trying to get things sorted. Soon enough though the lights dimmed and UMO took the stage. They last played here in January, around the time their second album was released, and by all accounts that was a good show, so I was interested to see what the band had in store for us this time round.

I have to admit here that I don’t know much of the band’s material; I’ve listened to the albums in passing, and have never seen them live. So I didn’t have many expectations, although I did think it’d be a pretty laid back affair, based on the two albums. That didn’t turn out to be the case. Ruban Nielson wrestles his guitar on stage like he’s having to force it to make the sweet, sweet psychedelic sounds escape it, while drummer Riley Geare is relentless in his pounding of the drums, laying down some huge beats to drive the songs. The whole time bassist Jake Portrait is rocking some smooth basslines that just tie everything in together.

Let’s just say it was easy to see why the band attracts so much hype, particularly for their live shows, and why 500 or so sweaty music fans were left wowed at Bodega.