Blueline Medic and Ted Leo + Pharmacists at Enigma Bar

Date: Thursday, April 28th 2005
Venue: Enigma Bar
Time: 8.30pm door opens, 9.30pm gig start
Price: $15
Bands: Blueline Medic + Ted Leo + Pharmacists w/ Line Of Departure

To me, this is one of the most anticipated tours this year. Melbourne's Blueline Medic have always been my absolute favourite Australian band. US' Ted Leo + Pharmacists released one of my favourite records of last year and the year before. When I heard they were releasing a split EP and touring together, I couldn't wait.


Adelaide's Line Of Departure were the support for this double headlined tour. I've seen them before as one of the supports for Japan's Drum:Kan / Kentucky's Your Black Star tour (which was one of my favourite gigs of last year). They're pretty popular among the emo scene kids and I thought their set was tight. Stronger riffs than last time and good support.



Ted Leo + Pharmacists came on next and the crowd packed up right before the set. He played all the hits from Shake The Sheets including the very popular Me and Mia, The Angel's Share and the self-titled, Shake The Sheets (as the closer) plus hits from Heats Of Oak like Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone? (but not my favourite The High Party, unfortunately). He also played the Split Endz cover, Six Months In A Leaky Boat (originally recorded for Tell Balgeary, Balgury is Dead as a Ted Leo solo effort but was re-recorded as a full band for the split EP).

The whole set was just so tight. Amazing guitar riffs and the bass and drum combination was so good. Ted had a few incidents of tuning dramas (but this seems to be a usual matter as I've read in a Canadian gig post over at VanMega). 15 seconds, indeed. I asked Ted before the set if he was going to do the Kelly Clarkson cover, Since U Been Gone (which he has done and recorded for the UGO Sessions along with a breakdown of Yeah Yeah Yeahs's Maps) but he insists that part of his Idol phase is over so no luck in getting that performed that night. Amazing and brilliant tight set, though.

More Ted Leo + Pharmacists photos from the show over here via my Flickr.



Blueline Medic came on and right on the very first note, a bass string BROKE! Total dramas but Ted Leo + Pharmacists' bass player, Dave, came to the rescue and lend David his bass. So, the first song (can't remember what it was because it didn't even start properly yet) was scrapped and they decided to open with one of my favourites, Swan Song Swan Dive from their first release, A Working Title In Green EP. They proceeded on to hits from The Apology Wars including the popular Making The Nouveau Riche, Cathedral and the song they hardly ever perform and is my favourite song from them, Write Us (finally got to see it perform live!).

Songs from Text Bomb were also performed like the hit single, Sleepyhead. They also did one of their new songs from the split EP, Newtown Rag (previously music recommended and the track was available for download). They are such an amazing band live, probably one of the best gigs they've done since I've seen them live almost at every Adelaide show for the past 4 years. One of the most underrated Australian bands out there and hopefully with new material coming up and a new full-length release, they'll be back to Adelaide again and gather new fans along the way because they sure did that during the gig.

More Blueline Medic photos from the show over here via my Flickr.


Total. Music. Euphoria. One of the best gigs I've been to this year.