Gold Fields

Gold Fields
Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Saturday October 29th, 2011

In the interim between their last slew of headline shows and tonight – which sees the Ballarat-bred five piece kick off their national tour in support of the release of a self-titled four track E.P. – they’ve been laying down material for an album in L.A., playing a string of shows in the U.S., and pedalling their percussively driven disco-punk wares around the country as part of the touring Parklife roster. That’s a pretty impressive little winter gestation period. And judging from the pristinely polished set that Gold Fields offer tonight, it has spawned an equally impressive reincarnation of a band that continue to flourish with unfaltering consistency and rapidity.

From the moment they appear on stage, it’s evident that Gold Fields have gleaned a wealth of experience from their mid-year sabbatical. They lurch around throughout the thundering tribal pulsations of opener ‘The Woods’, before a hazy veil of smoke swirls and envelops the stage for the sleek poppy lustre of ‘My Name’. As ever, they’re exacting and precise in delivering the snappy, expansive sound that defines so much of their catalogue. But their performance tonight is notably augmented: while the anthemic choruses of tracks like ‘The Woods’ have always fallen on appreciative ears shows, tonight it seems there’s an enthusiastic echo swathed around each of singer Mark Fuller’s breathy lines. In short, there’s a reciprocative energy here that serves to intensify the energetic theatricality of Gold Fields’ material. I guess that’s what a packed Corner Hotel will do for you.

Things cool slightly throughout the middle stages of a rapid-fire forty minute set, if only because the band deviate to move through a suite of unreleased material (presumably cuts from their upcoming debut album). But they muster to finish with a triumphant trio of ‘Born Slippy’, crowd favourite ‘Treehouse’ and newly released single ‘Moves’ that serves to provide the unequivocal highlight of the set. The former, a cover of Underworld’s definitive 90’s rave thumper, is a surprising choice given the pounding drum ‘n’ bass overtones of the original, but Gold Fields’ airy stabs of synth chords, syncopated cow bells and vibrant flurries of wood block make a worthy addition. Those percussive tinkers slowly morph over a thick canvas of more synthesizer into the famous-ish opening wood block riff (never thought I’d have to write that phrase in a live review) of ‘Treehouse’, and of course the crowd respond euphorically in recognition, before a gnashing ‘Moves’ ensures the realisation of the climactic finale that has been threatening since those initial bursts of ‘Born Slippy’ were sent floating out over the P.A.

With that, another imposing Gold Fields showing is complete, and the near thousand-strong crowd begin their dutiful shuffle toward the exits. If these guys keep things up at their current rate, odds are that their summer schedule will be jam packed for a while yet to come. - The Vine

Gold Fields brand new ep was premiered via Pedestrian on the 16th, with a stream of the 4 track release, including a bonus Gloves remix of “Treehouse”. Since impressing the Australian music scene last year, the 5 piece hailing from Ballarat have been on a whirlwind tour of the US repping their soulful, synth-laden indie pop, and are now coming home to a string of shows to celebrate the ep. Here’s a few words on each track:

“Moves”

BOOM. Track one is a sobering slap in the face that grabs the attention. High energy indie rock laced with a fuzzy bass line. The percussive side of this track really makes it for me. Cowbells and epic resonating claps/cracks. There is a big trancey breakdown/rise that really stamps the tune with the indie-dance brand.

“Holy No”

The tempo is pulled right back at track two, with a subtle hip-hop rhythm taking shape beneath a blues-tinted melody. The track bears a moody light, with shady lyrics reminiscing days of youth, like the hazy ramblings of the guy at the end of the bar. The verses are nagged by an organ hopping from key to key, and a wah guitar lick chimes in with its two-cents worth. This one is the stand out for me, a testament to the bands songwriting ability.

“The Woods”

This tune seems to pick up where Treehouse left off. Once again, a huge rhythmic feast and an almost tropical vibe, drenched in breezy vocals. The syncopated drum fills and that bouncy, grinding bass/synth sound will give your hips a workout. Although Gold Fields are part of a vast genre of sound-a-likes, they still achieve their own sound, particularly through their vocal arrangements and electronic nuances. These guys are a great addition to new Australian music. - Party By Jake

If you pay attention to SXSW then you’ll already be vigorously trying to listen to hundreds of bands that until recently you didn’t even know existed and so you should be because some of them aren’t going back into obscurity. One such band is Gold Fields who have come out on top making top five lists, left right and centre, of bands you should now be checking out. They covered ‘Born Slippy’ with all live instrumentation--which we imagine is no easy feat -- and their party got shut down by security which can only mean that it was ludicrously good.

The Australian five piece are a dance/rock/pop mash-up and they exude happiness in every way. Their self-titled EP comes before they release their debut record later this year and they’re building the tension way in advance.

‘Moves’ is a harsh sound track with lyrics about breaking bones and other fun things that might happen to you on a night out, “I need an ambulance, I couldn’t find my face.” The instrumentation is dark enough to match as trance laden beats coalesce with a thin yet striking guitar hook to heighten your senses in this world of night time euphoria. It’s definitely mood music and there’s something here for every mood.


Their sound is warped and packed with suspense, but it’s also light airy pop that glitters. ‘The Woods’ has electric drill drones and sparse rhythmic electric drums, but then it has clapping and ‘Oohs’ lining the chorus. It’s odd, but it works in the same way that Yeasayer’s sound works, it’s infectious. Opening track ‘Treehouse’ is a bite sized gem of pop perfection with absolutely no chinks in its armour. From a heart melting vocal performance with lyrics about love that don’t always appear that way; “Do you know how far we are from the moon?” to lots and lots of musical layers that smother you in beauty it might just be impossible to hate this track.

Gold Fields are the band that will brighten your day, your summer, and your year. Security might have stopped the people from dancing, but they can never stop the party and with Gold Fields now on your radar you’ll want to make sure you invite everyone. - Altsounds

Headlining the annual big Aussie bash at an Irish bar on St. Patrick’s Day might be a party assignment that seemed daunting to some, but Melbourne’s five-piece dance/rock/pop mash-up Gold Fields is certainly not lacking in confidence. It takes guts to cover Underworld’s “Born Slippy” with all-live instrumentation, and even more fearsome chops to nail it to the floor like they did at dusk on the final day of SXSW. Showcasing tracks from their self-titled EP in advance of a debut album later in the year, they had a happy group of international revelers shaking some serious booty all the way until some extremely po-faced security shut down not just their set, but the entire party. Boo to them. The Gold Fields party cannot be stopped, though – expect to hear much more from them soon.

- Buzzine

In the SXSW hangover, it feels like nearly every band makes their way to either Los Angeles or New York City immediately after the festival and both cities have an abundance of bands more than usual. Just as hard it is to stick out at a massive showcase like SXSW, it is just as difficult to make a mark in the big cities the days after. For most bands, that difficulty can be a factor in reassessing themselves as a live band or realize they could just be too tired to keep on going. As someone who has seen this happen to bands nearly every year after Austin's favorite festival, it is a bit difficult to give a proper review or allow some amnesty, that is, unless the band is someone like Gold Fields.

Gold Fields are an electro-rock / neo-New Wave band from Australia that combine elements of New Order, Two Door Cinema Club, Friendly Fires and Duran Duran. In the wake of SXSW, the Aussie band made their maiden voyage to the Big Apple for two shows - on Tuesday night at Brooklyn venue Glassland and Manhattan's Mercury Lounge. As their set started at 10:15 p.m., it was as if a bomb went off in the venue and immediately, Gold Fields proved they were unlike any band you had seen play the intimate venue before. With the packed room moving as if it was a Saturday night at the cities biggest and best club, the showmanship Gold Fields have on stage is simply uncanny. If one could bottle their energy and sell it, they would make a fortune. Drummer Ryan D’Sylva is simply a lunatic as how he plays his set, with his body moving as fast as the speed of sound it is amazing he does not pass out of exhaustion behind his kit. The band's charismatic singer Mark Robert Fuller knows how to get a crowds attention dancing and running around on stage as if his life depended on it. Yet the band's dance-oriented sound is far too grand and massive for small venues like Mercury Lounge and that is thanks in part to guitarist Vin Anadar, bassist Luke Peldys and percussionist / keyboardist Rob Clifton. Together Gold Fields are one of the most impressive live band's I personally have ever witnessed and one of the most impressive bands you will ever experience. In a set highlighted by their music and their sound, Gold Fields also performed a superb cover of Underworld's classic "Born Slippy," that had everyone in the room in awe. With only a four song EP under their belt, it will be a grand anticipation to hear what they have next. - Officially A Yuppie