Mono @ The Forum, Melbourne (Fri 7 Oct 2011)

This was a truly outstanding show. I’d not seen Mono before, and didn’t know too much about them at all.

They’re one of those bands, that when you tell people you’re into music like Explosions In The Sky, or God Is An Astronaut, a musically like-minded persons response generally mentions that Mono is a band worth my learning.

Wintercoats, who is actualy one guy (James Wallace) with a violin, a laptop and a loop station, was up first. Very nice, ambient sort of stuff with some lovely vocals. I liked it quite a bit and will more than likely go and see him again if I see he’s playing in town again.

Mono’s orchestra came on stage first, and it was a little while before the band came out. When they did, it was a spectacular sound. There were some amazing musical parts in the show (a lot actually), but I’ll also admit, there was a fair bit of cheesey “that’s exactly what I expected them to do” post-rock stuff as well. Nonetheless, it really was an amazing show to see, and makes me look forward even more to seeing Explosions In The Sky in December. There was no encore, but to be honest, my ears were worn out by the end, and I was happy to go home.