The Rocketsmiths may have gathered that the increasing crowd during their set were merely ‘getting a good spot for Spoon,’ but that didn’t stop them from putting on a show of their own. The five piece indie rockers who hail from Brisbane have been on the indie scene for years. With the release of their first full length album just on the horizon (August 20 to be exact), tonight’s set was filled with new tracks from this upcoming release, including recent single ‘Doctor,’ ‘Henry Winkler’ and the self- described subdued song ‘Bones’ which shows they are purely measuring by their own standards.

The Rocketsmiths are a band with a great deal of enthusiasm, and that tag comes with physical evidence. During only the second song of their set, lead singer and guitarist Dom Miller broke a string on his guitar, and felt no need to fix it throughout the remainder of the set. He is clearly the centrepiece, with his enthusiasm greatly contrasted with the mellow demeanour of his fellow band members. The Rocketsmiths perform their fast, and at times ferocious indie rock set with ease. They are very comfortable and confident with the increasing audience size, and remain so throughout. The Rocketsmiths already have a devoted fan base; but if you don’t know much about them, it’s time to take notice.

“This is a lot better than Townsville,” claimed Spoon front man Britt Daniel. Even if they weren’t particularly well received Groovin the Moo in Townsville the Sunday prior, tonight’s gig showed they will always have an appreciative crowd to come back to in Brisbane.

The last time Texan minimalists Spoon were seen in Australia was for 2008’s Big Day Out. This tour is on the back of 2010’s well-received Transference, and Spoon begin their set appropriately by playing the closer to that album, ‘Nobody Gets Me But You.’ From this point, it’s a while before any new material is heard. Instead, the audience is treated to a short tour of previous albums, stretching as far back as Girls Can Tell favourite ‘Me and the Bean.’ In amongst these were the eerie and haunting jabs of noise on ‘The Ghost of you Lingers,’ a song whose power in emphasised immensely in a live performance. In amongst the remainder of the set is a large sample of Transference material, but with a surprisingly generous amount of older tracks and a cover of The Damned’s ‘Love Song’ thrown in for good measure. As is evidenced throughout the night, Spoon have a way of formulating a perfect mix of new and old material in their set lists. Spoon’s back catalogue is diverse, and they don’t want it soon forgotten.

Highlights amongst a set filled with them include the acoustic lead ‘I Summon You’ and ‘The Underdog,’ both of which escalated in to crowd sing-a-longs, fantastic Transference single `Written in Reverse,’ and the affecting ‘Black Like Me.’

Precision is an aspect of Spoon’s music which is so integral to their sound. It’s also the aspect of their music that Spoon gets so right in a live performance. The skill and precision that each band member is capable of is impressive and quite staggering, and their technical skills cannot be faulted. Spoon never sound sloppy or unprepared, and their minimalist sound allows for the simpler nuances of their music to truly shine.

Spoon follow a strict formula within their sound, one that after a decade continues to sound fresh and exciting. Tonight, the band didn’t do much out of the ordinary, but they didn’t have to. The crowd were grateful just to hear Spoon again, and a great performance from the band only extended their enthusiasm.