2012 has been a huge year for The Rubens, with much hype generated surrounding their self-titled debut release. On tour in support of the new album, The Rubens graced UOW Unibar with their charismatic presence, to play yet another sold-out show.
With Bertie Blackman as a support, the crowd was at full capacity from the get-go. Bertie displayed her amazing talent and knack for being able to play a variety of instruments, while putting the crowd under her spell with her magical, throaty vocals. She was pitch-perfect for the show, with her songs showcasing the sheer, raw power of her enviable vocals – think a mix between Kimbra and Megan Washington. With new album Pope Innocent X hitting stores in October, Bertie played a strong set with old and new songs, with a particular favourite amongst the crowd being the ever-catchy ‘Mercy Killer.’
The Rubens have had a stellar year: having only played in a small Wollongong café a mere year ago, the upgrade to Unibar with a sold out show proved the rise in their popularity. With a somewhat unassuming and quiet stage presence, the band kicked things off with track ‘Best We Got,’ to cheers from the audience. At times looking somewhat overwhelmed by the size of the crowd and the enthusiasm of people knowing their lyrics, The Rubens continued to amaze with Sam Margins husky vocals sounding just as great live as they do on the album.
In a brave move, hit single ‘My Gun’ was included as the 4th song on the setlist. As it was clearly the crowd favourite of the night, it would be safe to assume not to hear it til much later in the show. However, I think it was a great move for the band. Considering they are promoting the new album, it made sure the audience stayed focused for the other songs as well.
Other hit songs included the rockier ‘Don’t Ever Want To Be Found', and the tortured ‘Be Gone’ with Margins vocals taking on a huskier and more soulful sound blended in with the intricate guitar. With a resounding cheer for an encore song, Margin switched to they keyboard and started playing mellow track ‘Never Be The Same.’ While a strange choice for an encore, this is definitely one of my personal favourite tracks from The Rubens, so it was amazing to hear live. With a ‘this is definitely our last song’ The Rubens ended things on a high with ‘Lay It Down.’
The one word to describe The Rubens is 'cool' – they’re not the band you go to see that jumps around with high levels of energy on stage. They’re cool, calm, and collected, but still exude confidence within themselves and their tracks. Definitely a must see.