Pyjama Sundayz sounds like just about the best thing in the world. Lying in bed with a strong cup of joe and absolutely nothing to do, soft rain patter outside the window. It’s time to finish binge-watching that series or knock-off that book you’ve been meaning to finish.
But aside from the fact they wear matching pyjamas on stage, that’s about all they have in common with the concept. Pyjama Sundayz are a non-stop party, and it’s a one-of-a-kind experience, to say the least.
Step into the world of Pyjama Sundayz. One where absolutely anything can happy at any moment, and where the party never stops.
Pyjama Sundayz dropped like a bomb on the scene in 2018 when they released their debut album The Clench. It’s one hour of satirical takes on the Sydney landscape and its comic characters, following their turbulent journey from aspiring musicians to superstardom. Though it is a remarkably enjoyable ride full of knocking beats, delicious grooves and tasteful jams, Pyjama Sundayz live show is an affair on a whole other level.
A frontman of frontmen, Sydney socialite Charlie Waldren is the explosive nucleus of their live performances and expunges excess funk into his top-shelf side project Poolroom. From RnB to the outer inclines of the avant-garde, Pyjama Sundayz, leave their audiences with frozen faced expressions mouthing one word only: “Wow!”.
Imagine your only experience of a party is one of those weird singers you see only at the Mall – like do they tour all the Malls of the world? – then you suddenly get invited to the stately manor of the Great Gatsby. Yep, it’s going to be a grand old time, and Pyjama Sundayz always are.
The Clench is a 16-track epic that transcends genre, highlighting the immense levels of talent the four-piece possesses, featuring all the bands greatest hits such as Ice Cold Rivét, Samosas in the Rain and QVB Gargoyle. Yet when this enigmatic quartet hit the stage it transcends time itself.
Gone are the excessive burdens of instruments, setlists and tuning, it’s all about the performance. And what a performance it is. Anything can happen at any time, half the time the instruments aren’t even plugged in, or aren’t instruments at all (see below). It’s less about being a vessel for art and more about being the art itself.
I have seen shows where one member has left the stage for a number of songs only to reappear in a completely opposite direction wearing different clothes. Or they all sing gang harmonies, while someone languorously strums a shovel, or plays a keyboard behind their back. I have even seen them play incredibly tight shows, expressive immaculate vocal and musical talent. The perspective and limitation of each show is set entirely by them, and I daresay it’s pre-meditated. They show explodes with improvisation the moment it starts and the crowd is just as unsure of where the set will go as the band themselves.
That being said, a beat pad will usually play recorded versions as backing tracks while the members sing harmonies, and I have never seen them fail to bring the house down. It’s infectious, fun, and every crowd, everywhere, love it… every time.
Catch Pyjama Sundayz tearing it up at Bay Sounds on Mar 1st. Event here.
