LIVE REVIEW: CONGRATS @ THE HOWLER 29/4/2021
The talent that is Ben Stewart debuted his latest EP release ‘Pharaoh’ under his side project Congrats at the Howler last Thursday Night. Supported by Kwasi and Ivan Ooze who both have a feature on the EP.
Opening the night was Melbourne hip-hop rapper, Kwasi who features on the song ‘Overthink.’ Backed up by an electric guitarist, a drummer and a loop box, Kwasi performed with a mixture of rap and vocals. Kwasi’s impressive vocals ended his set with a solo moment, which really highlighted that talent and set the stage for Congrats.
Stewart is no stranger to a solo show, with a recent sold-out tour performing much loved Slowly Slowly songs, his dedication to performing is something to be in awe of.
Starting the show with the EP’s title single ‘Pharaoh, the lyrics are moving and the song has a darker tone than the recent single releases we had previously seen. The chorus was echoed with Stewarts haunting backing vocals whilst the lyrics cut over the top.
‘Lobotomy’ was accompanied by Stewart playing a white electric guitar, and a heated performance. The lyrics of ‘Lobotomy’ are so raw and relatable it’s almost like you’re being stabbed in the heart at times. Particularly the lines; “Oh and then my favourite part, when you broke my fucking heart. You needed space, so I got a lobotomy.”
Stewart has a way to writing that draws you in and makes you feel something, and not just the run of the mill kind of stuff. The way he writes is quite sentimental and it’s almost like you’re staring through the looking glass into his mind. This same kind of lyricism is seen in the next song ‘Antidote.’ This song was performed with a similar passion and energy as ‘Lobotomy,’ During the bridge of this song the lights were dimmed and the only Stewart was illuminated whist still playing the guitar, which highlighted his impressive vocals and the slightly slower change of pace that occurred.
Whist taking sips of red wine in-between sets, Stewart puts down the guitar for ‘Berserk’ which continues with the slightly slower pace. You can tell this song comes from a deeper place from the passion that is displayed by Stewart when performing it. Lines such as “you wish I had egg on my face” are sung with a passion that makes you unable to take your eyes off Stewart as he’s performing it.
‘Believe the Hype’ is a song we hadn’t heard prior to the release of the album, it has a different sound to it that is backed up by the feature of rapper Ivan Ooze who joins Stewart on stage. The song is fast paced and had more of an electronic feel to it, something new for the singer than pop punk and indie rock sounds we’ve heard previously.
Much to fans surprise, Stewart premiered an unreleased song; a pop-py love ballad that was accompanied by the illumination of lighters and phone lights. Creating an intimate moment there in the Howler. Followed up by ‘Fill Your Sails’ and ‘Silver Tongue’ both a mixture of dreamy, synth pop and swirling vocals. Stewart then premiered another unreleased song, filled with more dreamy vocals and the echo of drums during the chorus. The lyrics of this song were emotional and had a similar vibe to Slowly Slowly’s hit ‘Race Car Blues.’
‘Overthink’ has an incredibly catchy guitar riff and saw Kwasi return to the stage. The energy during the performance of this song was at a high. Kwasi also had a solo freestyle moment during the song, which brought a lot of hype from the crowd. Fans could be heard belting out the chorus in unison with Stewart and Kwasi for the duration of the song.
‘Cut Down The Middle’ was the first song Stewart released under the Congrats name, a catchy pop beat that slows down for the bridge. The bridge of this song particularly brings focus to Stewart’s vocal talent. Bringing back the electric guitar, he closes the night with the first single released off his ep, ‘Russian Roulette.’ This song has such a crazy passionate energy which was mimicked by fans. The mixture of dreamy pop and emotional vocals is something that Stewart does incredibly well, and this is no exception.
Ben Stewart puts on an incredible performance; whether it’s as a part of Slowly Slowly, as Ben Stewart, or under Congrats. You can hear the passion in his voice and see it in the way he performs on stage. And if there’s one piece of advice I can give you, go see Ben Stewart. You absolutely won’t regret it.