Corner Hotel was not the first place that sprung to mind when someone mentioned an energetic venue with a crowd to match. On the contrary, it seems that, most of the time, the crowd has an inability to enjoy themselves in this place. Meanwhile, I myself have been driven out of earth by amazing acts like fuzzy hyped noise rock band Magic Dirt, dynamic dreamy shoe-gazing electro Brooklyn band School of Seven Bells and sharp-edged alternative electro UK band Ladytron.
Tonight, however, was a different story. Spectators were mounted on each other’s shoulders, and surfing across the crowd from one end to the other. Miami Horror, along with supporters The Dirty Secrets, have enjoyed a successful prologue to waves of upcoming summer festivals in a hot and sweaty fashion.
Stepping inside the Corner Hotel early, I stood next to the main stage, with two mid-sized screens hanging on either side and facing the front – all the while looping through an ambient motion graphic. Feeling hypnotized after twenty seconds of gazing at the screen, I tuned my sight to the disco ball hovering overhead, reflecting sparkling light across from both screens and scattering it over the floor in a beautifully disco-like manner. Meanwhile, continuous streams of crowds kept coming in, packing the room tightly and raising the temperature.
Embarassingly enough, I have never heard of the supporting band, The Dirty Secrets, but their 40-minute set simply blew my head off. On the performing side, the whole band was physically and emotionally engaged with the audience. Front man Jarrah Mcleary certainly is an amazing dancer and performer. With one hand grabbing the microphone and the other dabbing over the keyboard, he threw the microphone around his neck and shoulder on more than one occasion, proceeding to percuss on the keyboard. Swaying across the stage from one end to the other, hopping onto the drum platform with one arm risen, he was dancing his way all the over the stage. All the other band members seemed to subscribe to his wildness too, rocking out loud and strumming vigorously, pushing their performance to another level.
In terms of sound, the band had nice array of catchy, layered tracks jammed with synthesizers, distorted guitar sounds and danceable drum beats to set the party off. The Dirty Secrets unquestionably set everyone’s heart and the room on fire as they finished the set with My Heart Is on Fire.
As soon as The Dirty Secrets left the stage, the DJ stepped in with a set filled with funky tracks and managed to work the crowd and keep them dancing. By now, the room was literally boiling. Everyone knew what to expect next, sweeping towards the front of the stage. I was sandwiched and pushed and could not withstand the body heat all around me, so decided to struggle my way to the back, with my former spot being filled up in no time.
Miami Horror continued the party the instant he took to the stage, and spiced it up even more. The crowd got into the 80s groove well, jumping up and down energetically, with crowd surfers popping up one by one. The madness went even higher, and the crowd enthusiastically sang along when the band launched into hit songs Make You Mine and Sometimes.
Unfortunately, the public transport timetable got in my way of witnessing the encore; I called out “one more” along with the rest of the concert-goers but hadn’t the pleasure to enjoy what I begged for. However, Miami Horror put up one amazing show and reassured everyone that summer party time isn’t far away.
Ray Tsai
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