Bar on the Hill
May 31, 2013
The Rubens have been busy bees in the last 12 months. After coming out of nowhere last year to release one of the best records of 2012, The Rubens have kept it coming into 2013, sharing the stage with none other that The Boss, Bruce Springsteen on his Wrecking Ball tour throughout March. Perhaps it’s been the experiences of the last year or so that inspired the title of their latest tour, Never Be The Same, the biggest tour to date for the band with 21 metro and regional dates across the country throughout April and May. We caught the Margin brothers (plus childhood mate Scott Baldwin) as they capped off the tour in Newcastle at the Bar on the Hill.
Sydney four-piece Will and the Indians kicked the night off with some Brit-pop inspired guitar tunes before local-lads The Guppies won over the hometown crowd with their brand of scuzzy garage rock. By 10:30pm every member of the sell out crowd was packed onto the floor of the Bar on the Hill awaiting the arrival of the boys from Menangle and to a soundtrack of hard rap (after all, the guys have made no secret of their love of hip-hop), The Rubens took to the stage.
By the last date of their five-week long tour, The Rubens were a well-oiled machine, sliding effortlessly through their 13-track set with the kind of ease that belies the fact they’ve only been playing together since 2011. Opening the set with ‘Stampy’, the set covered all 11 tracks from last year’s self-titled debut with silky smooth ‘Elvis’ and breakthrough single ‘Lay It Down’ getting a lot of love from the audience. The band’s cover of the Roots’ ‘The Seed (2.0)’ also made a well-received appearance, sans rap part.
Two-thirds through the set, the crowd were treated to some new music from the band. “We hope you like it because if you don’t…we’re fucked,” Sam Margin confessed. A surprisingly careful response to sharing new music considering the frontman certainly hasn’t shied away from letting interviewers know that the bands follow-up record will have a distinctly more commercial-radio-friendly vibe than their debut. The new track, ‘Cut Me Loose’, has all the hallmarks of a Rubens cut, bluesy guitars, soulful organ, to be honest the only noticeably difference from the rest of their back catalogue would be the slightly more easily digestible three-word hook – perhaps a welcome indicator for some fans that the Rubens’ next album won’t be too much of a departure from the sound they know and love.
As it was the last show on the tour, the lighting guys got a special mention from the band and for good reason. Throughout the set, beams of light from the back of the stage shone up onto the ceiling of the Bar on the Hill and up into the cobwebbed eaves, merging together to resemble a cathedral ceiling, perfectly complimenting the Rubens’ signature rootsy organ. Great lighting is obviously essential for any show but in a venue that sometimes has the tendency to feel a bit like a summer camp mess hall, the transformative effect was particularly welcome – no offense Bar on the Hill, we still love you.
After what has seemingly been a dream introduction to the music industry – legions of fans, international tours, support slots with some of the biggest acts on the planet, a certified gold debut record and a #1 single – eyes will be firmly affixed on whatever The Rubens do next. With new music creeping onto their setlists, will it be a case of second album syndrome or another ARIA success story for the band? Only time will tell.
- Amelia Parrott
