Plini | Northcote Theatre | Melbourne | 8th August
It’s been 2 years since Sydney-born guitar extraordinaire Plini hit up Melbourne for a headline show, and with the release of his newest album ‘An Unnameable Desire’, we were evidently due for another one.
What Plini brought to the stunning Northcote Theatre was his signature blend of time-signature defying progressive rock, complex yet beautiful melodic riffs and filthy head-banging djent riffage.
I want to briefly shout out the support acts; it was clear the lineup was curated incredibly meticulously. Each band felt like they embodied one of Plini’s defining musical characteristics: Nightdive featured the introspective melodies, Cenobia featured the heavy, dirty riffs, and the UK’s Delta Sleep featured the math/progressive rock elements. It was the perfect way to warm up the room before Plini took to the stage.
Plini’s set consisted largely of songs from the new album, (some standout tracks being the title track ‘An Unnameable Desire’, ‘Ciel’ and ‘Vespertine’) which was extremely welcome, as more than any of his albums before it, the tracks felt designed to be listened to live. So many of them felt anthemic and grand, that the gig sounded more like a stadium concert than a theatre show. Plini’s backing band, which currently consists of Chris Allison on drums, Jake Howsam Lowe on second guitar and Simon Grove on bass, is phenomenal. These songs are no joke, but they perform them so (seemingly) effortlessly, it’s mind blowing to watch. These guys are locked in all the way, they really have to be seen to be believed.
Plini himself has such an intriguing aura on stage. He performs with a thick layer of non-chalance, he stays relatively still whilst playing outside a slight head-bop to the rhythm of the song. No flashy moves, no fancy outfit, which I think is a big part of Plini’s appeal. As opposed to some sort of untouchable guitar god, he comes across as just a regular guy who happens to be really damn good at the guitar. I actually think it makes for a much more engaging performance than if he did behave like an untouchable guitar god. There’s a sense of relatability to his act that draws you in and makes it so hard to look away from.
Some of my favourite moments of the set were the on-stage antics between Plini and his bandmates, Jake in particular. They would often be up to each other’s ears to pass on messages whilst the other was mid-solo, or giving each other fist-bumps after a song. The highlight for me was during the outro of ‘Selenium Forest’, in which the band walked off to the side of the stage to where the guitar and monitor techs were, and stood with them whilst Chris ripped an absolutely insane drum solo.
Plini’s Northcote Theatre show was as down-to-earth as it was grandiose. Incredibly talented artists with endless chemistry both in their musicianship and on-stage interactions. It was a joy to have been able to experience the electricity in that theatre last night.
Plini’s album “An Unnameable Desire” is out now.