Do You Like Cats?

Written by Theodora Chan

I walked down the rain-spattered streets of Newtown last Friday, making my way to the Vanguard.  Famous for being one of Sydney’s best indie music venues, the Vanguard that night was hosting Sydney-based band “I Like Cats”. 

Supporting the lyrical veterans of “Junglehammer”, the boys of “I Like Cats” certainly knew how to hold their own.  The five piece band, which only formed a year ago, consists of Rollo Anderson (guitar and vocals), William Johnston (drums), Jaei Gonzalez (bass and effects), Dylan Baskind (guitar and vocals) and Dominic Mercer (cello and vocals).

The minute the boys started playing, I was rapt.  Physically speaking, the venue left a lot to be desired.  The stage was cramped with podiums and stands which the musicians were forced to crouch behind, the lighting alternated between a devilish red and sickly green, and the band were forced to hold back, being instructed (so I am told), to play “quietly”. 

Yet I forgot all this the moment the first chord ripped through the air.  The beautiful, eerie dissonance of guitars, vocals, cello and drums melded together to create something out of the ordinary.  They were Explosions in the Sky but darker, Mogwai with a heart-wrenching humour.  They were skin-tingling, bone-warming, soul-skipping… they were… they were…  oh they were over.  Dammit.

I plummeted back down to reality with all my senses heightened but (amazingly) still intact.  Talking with the boys after their performance, I smiled quietly to myself, marvelling at the musical talent around me (and developing a bit of a crush on all of them).  So there you have it, boys and girls, music fit to tantalise the soul and the senses, purring against your knees and bolding jumping onto your laps.  Do you like cats?  I certainly do.

The band’s album “Attack Me” will be released in late November.

Check out their website for more details and upcoming gigs at: www.myspace.com/ilikecatstheband