Operator Please at the Esplanade Hotel, St Kilda - 4/4/08

07 April 2008

It's probably a pretty good example of how hot these Brisbane kids are right now that after a hectic tour through Europe, Operator Please were finally back in Australia for their first tour to promote the release of their debut album 'Yes! Yes! Vindictive!', which was only released errrr....5 months ago. Yep, they're busy!

With an average age of just under 18 (lead singer Amandah is the oldest at 19 years old) these guys have already achieved things that other bands can only dream of (fave band of Perez Hilton, 2 top 10 singles on the UK indie charts, an ARIA award, played the Reading and Leeds festivals , etc, etc, etc - the list goes on!) and one not to miss if you get the chance to catch them live!

OP's hardcore fans were buzzing on Friday night at the Esplanade in St Kilda and the less than capacity crowd (perhaps because it was an over 18 only gig) was made up for by the energy levels of the crowd!

The show kicked off with an explosive version of the band's title track 'Yes! Yes!' with lead singer Amandah ignoring the humidity to rock out onstage in her signature whiny tone. The band as a whole can hardly contain their energy levels, jumping all over the stage yet managing to maintain control over their instruments. The only exception to this appears to be their keyboard player Sarah-Jane Gardiner who often seems more concerned with dancing around the stage ferociously than actually playing the keyboard.

The set encompassed the hits from their latest album, as well as some tracks originally written for their first EP ('Two For My Seconds' was a highlight). The band slowed things down a bit halfway through the set, with a slow-tempo song called '6/8' before kicking out the jams for a hyper-active, super fast paced cover of the classic Devo hit 'Whip It'. Pretty cool, considering these kids weren't even born when it was written! The added effect of the violin was a cute accompaniment to the song, with violinist Taylor chucking her instrument mid-way through the song to have a boogie.

From that point on it was frenetic through to the end of the set, with the band playing their big hits 'Just a Song About Ping Pong' and 'Leave it Alone' which was received with cheers of glee from the crowd. They finished with the highlight of the night a vigorous version of the track 'Zero! Zero!'

And with that they thank the audience and leave the stage. No encore for these kids - they know how to leave on a high note!

It's official I'm a convert. No longer do I associate this band with being whiny school kids. Nope, these are some truly talented musicians whose experience has made them an extremely confident and entertaining live band.

To cap it all off, I end up hanging out with Amandah at the end of the show. When she finds out I am reviewing the gig she goes hunting for a pen and writes down the setlist for me on a napkin so I know what songs they played! Lovely girl and a truly kick-ass performer! We also spoke about how much we both liked Britney Spears's latest album, but that's another story...

Operator Please setlist - 4/4/08 - Esplanade Hotel, St Kilda
Yes! Yes!
Terminal Disease
Get What You Want
Cring
Two For My Seconds
Icicle
6/8
Ghost
Other Song
Whip It (cover)
Pantomime
Just a Song About Ping Pong
Leave it Alone
Zero! Zero!

Photos by Annie Hutton