Many, many years ago I randomly brought an FBI 94.5 FM mix CD called Kill Your Idols and became smitten with a relatively new act at the time called Expatriate. The Sydney based four piece later released a fantastic record and then promptly pissed off to Berlin for three years and completely dropped off the radar.
Earlier this year they announced on their social networking sites that a new record was on the way and they were headed home to launch it. So it was with great trepidation that I headed off to the East to finally see the band in action and fortunately for me and everybody else present the boys did deliver with a ripper set that went off without a hitch, in spite of it being their first live performance in eighteen months.
Front man Ben King has a commanding presence – passionately crooning into the mic as he confidently stalked the stage. Expatriate play with an intense energy which saw the entire band immersed in the music as they concentrated on honing their sound while dancing around and obviously enjoying being back onstage. The band seemed wary of losing our attention, apologising for the plethora of unfamiliar material that was being showcased, and throwing in a few old favourites along the way, in particular the ripper rendition of “The Spaces Between” got the crowd up and dancing. Their new tunes sounded amazing live and are a good sign of whats in store for your aural delight when their LP is released early next year.
Expatriate’s return home was a raging success as the boys proved they are a force to be reckoned with, putting on a highly enjoyable show. Look out for more to come from this lot in the near future.
