Yves Klein Blue / Oxford Art Factory

At long last I got to see (and hear) Yves Klein Blue. They developed a bit of name for themselves, winning the MTV Kickstart competition, but as far as the wider community is concerned, they are relatively unknown. I’d been meaning to catch them for a while, but until last Saturday, it just hadn’t happened. I’m glad I am finally acquainted with them because what I saw was quite impressive. Hailing from Brisbane, Yves Klein Blue look and sound like a major band. As I was listening to them, I got the feeling that they belonged on the same platform as bands like Maximo Park, The Fratellis and The Strokes. Their music certainly isn’t of the same standard, but they just gave me that impression. It feels like it’s just a matter of time before the public takes notice or they write ‘that’ song and things take off. I’m not sure how this will pan out, or whether I’ll like what they become, but currently they have my attention. Yves Klein Blue make an infectious, bluesy blend of indie-rock and deliver it in an energetic live show. Provided they play things right, they’ve got the potential to become disgustingly big.

MP3: Polka

The other half of this tale lies in place in which the gig took place. It’s a relatively new venue called the Oxford Art Factory, located on good old Oxford St. I don’t think word’s alone can describe the ridiculousness of this venue. For starters, it is quite big and situated completely underground. Then within this, it seems to contain everything you could want from a venue. The dance floor is spacious, the prices are low and all the rooms are logically arranged. It’s almost as if someone sat down and thought ‘what would be the ideal venue?’ and then dug a giant hole and built it! I can’t even begin to imagine how many millions of dollars this place must have cost. I feel like we have a Hacienda on our hands (I can hope). More likely it will become infected by dirty music and dirty people. We can’t let that happen! People of Sydney, an incredible venue has been dropped in your laps. Let’s make it something we can be proud of!

Oxford Art Factory | Yves Klein Blue