TWELVE FOOT NINJA • THE ALGORITHM • POLARIS

MANNING BAR – 29/03/14

Wormvestor Stallone abseils down the precipitous cliff face to deliver a holy hand grenade behind enemy lines. His mission; to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting group of Ocker invertebrates, which will allow the remaining member of Fish Bait Squad to slink in undetected for an easy victory over the tyrannical reign of Timcules. A month off the booze had caused my “soberical” fortitude to recede back to the glory days of my teenage, virgin liver, and at only two scotches in, my plan fell apart in the most unfortunate of fashions. The divine missile fell from my hands, off-target and into a mine littered crater.  Stallone decided to follow suit and was obliterated on impact. The impressive explosion launched a series of proximity mines directly at an already wounded Arnold Wormseneggar, ousting him from the arena and into a watery grave to join the rest of his fallen comrades. Upon witnessing my self-inflicted defeat, Mistress Flataitycus urged that we make our way to Manning Bar with the speed of Hermes. Heeding her wisdom, we departed Sparta with our army of three and excitedly made our way towards The Hot Gates of Sydney University, for death and glory.

Six-piece metalcore outfit POLARIS were an unusual choice to kick off the Sydney leg of the Troll Burger tour. Straight out of kindergarten and into the hearts of a few diehard fans up the front, the Sydney siders wasted no time in unfurling their mix of screamo laden chug-a-lug onto the unresponsive crowd. Most hardcore/metalcore/applecore bands are full of young, angry kids with a high energy front man fuelled by Red Bull, and Jamie Hails was no exception to the rule. His nasally screams filled the arena as he ensured to tag every bit of floor the venue had to offer. Bassist Jake Steinhauser was the far more competent of the two singers, providing perfectly suited clean vocals for the chorus-like sections of the songs. Guitarist Ryan Siew worked the crowd like a pro and was easily the most interesting person to watch on stage. That was until he decided to sit down on the edge of the stage for what felt like half the set. His counterpart Rick Schneider whilst not very active on stage, did provide some gorgeous sweeping guitar work which at times reminded me of Karnivool’s persona EP. Drummer Daniel Furnari appeared to be bored beyond tears. Technically he’s very good at what he does and he might even enjoy it, although his face does not betray his emotions. Despite all of this, the music as a whole was actually quite enjoyable as it was chock full of syncopated riffage, grinding chuggs and gorgeous sweeping clean overdubs provided by Schneider. The boys seem to have a decent following and sadly I feel they gained nothing in terms of exposure by playing this show. In summary; good band, wrong crowd.

I’ll be honest. I’d never heard of THE ALGORITHM before tonight and was confused at the unusual set up on stage before me, staring me down like a lusty minx. A lone drum kit overlooks The Pride Lands from its podium whilst a rather lengthy table housed a menagerie of electronica doodads of which I have no idea of how any of them operate. The French duo take to the stage during a remix of Dragonforce’s “Through The Fire And Flames” which stimulated our musical prostates in anticipation. The cautiously curious crowd look on as the virtuosos before me work their seductive musical magic which quickly causes more than a few pairs of ear in the room to prick up. What makes this band stand out is they appease to both electronica and metal crowds whilst not falling into the industrial sub-genre. The set as a whole was mathematically challenging; full of off-centre time signatures (such as 6/4 and 10/4) much to the delight of every musician in attendance. The music is metal orientated electronica with a Super Saiyan in the form of Mike Malyan on the drums. He pummels the steel and skins of his kit with the speed of Tara Reid’s demise from stardom. Brainchild of The Algorithm Rémi Gallego worked the mixing and engineering on stage. I have no idea how any of the equipment works but every gesture of his hands and every idiosyncrasy he displayed coincided with a battering ram of electronic legerdemain. He utilized the perfect amount of dubs per wub, appeased to the metal fans by incorporating heavy amounts of djenty guitar work and even contorted a smorgasbord of froth-inducing sounds that syncopated with the insane percussion skills of Malyan. It wasn’t until Kin of Twelve Foot Ninja joined the duo on stage that the crowd really started to get into the set. The multitude were starting to dance like toddlers at a Wiggles concert and the room was rapidly filling up to see what all the commotion was. By the time the boys closed the set with a remix of Daft Punk’s “Faster Stronger” the audience could chain link a smile from wall to wall. A thunderous applause saw off the French men and a new wave of excitement filled the room with the advent of the headliner. Brilliant performance from a genre defying band that will be making high rotations in my music library for the foreseeable future.

Melbourne’s TWELVE FOOT NINJA enter the dojo to demonstrate their sneaky assassin ways to the drooling punters in attendance tonight. The five piece have to be seen to be believed as the excellent recordings don’t hold a candle to their explosive live show. “Coming For You” harpoons our senses with its genre-abusing structure which shouldn’t work in any scenario (like ever) and yet, it more than satiates our musical appetites, as the song fits together like a perfectly constructed Lego Death Star. The inebriated mob were singing along in droves to anthem after anthem of the bands impressive catalogue of hits. Russ had his arms flailing away up the back of the stage like a teenage girl running into a friend she last saw only an hour ago. Damon was grinning like the Mayor of Halloween Town while he was hunched over his bass like Quasimodo, presumably to reach the bottom strings in order to add his distinctive flavour of fat, bouncy hooks into the music. Kin’s face suggested that he was exhausted during the performance but his flawless Patten-like vocals quickly shot that assumption out of the water. Fan favourite Stevic had his very vocal supporters in attendance tonight. I don’t know where it came from but one rowdy punter was screaming out to him on the opposite side of the stage to give him a slice of pizza……which he devoured in a single bite and much like a duck, the mastication process was non-existent. Rohan and Stevic had some nice duelling guitar battles going on at one point much to the delight of the rowdy room. “Molotov Brother” sent the endorphins in the room haywire and the world record breaking, crowd funded video of “Ain’t That A Bitch” helped cement a new favourite sing along for the increasingly sweaty mosh. The audience grew hungrier with every passing song of Twelve Foot Ninja’s patented brand of electro/metal/random genre fusion. “Portrait #1” had all but the four kids front and centre (who had been there since the doors opened and complained whenever someone bumped into them) bouncing along like an opportunistic Randy Marsh, and “Clarion” had us singing out of tune like an army of banshees. TFN close the show with “Mother Sky” (which finally got the gig noobs moving to the music) which the horde lapped up quicker than Goku can eat a meal after a forty eight episode battle. Twelve Foot Ninja are one of Australia’s tightest acts to date and it’s no wonder why their innovative brand of genre fusing metal is garnering cult-like adoration the world over. Glorious set yet again from the Melbourne five piece.

Australia has so many talented bands that can compete with the best the world has to offer. Twelve Foot Ninja are doing wonders for Aussie music overseas and they started out like any local band in sunny Melbourne town. Think about how many other bands we can propel through the ranks if we all attended at least one gig a month. Sydney should be the envy of other cities and not the proverbial black hole of the local music scene that we as a city have unfortunately gained a reputation for. Our music scene needs your help to nourish the volatile nature of the industry.

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support The Music Scene.

Joshua Towney

https://www.facebook.com/twelvefootninja

https://www.facebook.com/TheAlg0r1thm

https://www.facebook.com/polarisaus

KARNIVOOL, DEAD LETTER CIRCUS, SLEEP•MAKES•WAVES

UNSW ROUNDHOUSE - 17/01/14

“That’ll be ten dollars thanks” uttered the liberally tattooed, rooftop bartender of the Aurora Hotel. I walked away with an icy pint of deep amber lager in each hand and I was more puzzled than a dog looking for a ball that was never thrown. The short tempered Wolverine informed me that everything over the bar during happy hour was a measly five bucks and so, and so……and so we drank everything. Steins and goblets and chalices (Oh my!) piled up on our table like the halls of Valhalla as the pauper priced mead was rapidly depleted from them. We debated the uselessness of Superman and how the ridiculously turd “Arrow” was still on the air whilst our veins were continuously pumped full of any beverage that would have its way with us. The conversation turned to the amazing value of the majority of products available from K-Mart and then back again to Superman being shitter than a prune fuelled nappy puddle. Time soon got the better of us and Mr Cabman ensured that we made the inebriated journey into Coruscant faster than a bolt fired from a wookie bowcaster. It was time to marvel at three Australian bands at the top of their game under the roof of the infamous UNSW Roundhouse. 

The sun was still blanketing the sky when Sydney’s SLEEP•MAKES•WAVES hit the stage dressed in their matching black attire. The last time I saw them was at a pre-taco bar Excelsior Hotel (R.I.P.) playing to a total of around thirty people, so I was curious to see how far they’ve come and if their brand of instrumental/atmospheric post rock could hold the attention of a much larger room. The set opens with “To You They Are Birds, To Me They Are Voices In The Forest” from their debut album “…And So We Destroyed Everything” which filled up the vacant room quicker than Kanye West can offend someone after rousing from his self-obsessed slumber. From the opening note the sound was crisper than a post Vesuvius citizen of Pompeii and the boys were loving it. I immediately notice the incredible on-stage chemistry of the musicians, which for a band without a vocalist, is an absolute must. Viking overlord and bassist supreme Alex Wilson is the centre of attention in a love triangle between himself and the other two stringed musicians. As Guitarist Otto Wicks-Green surveyed the crowd his smile formed a perfect semi-circle reminiscent of Fozzy Bear. Percussionist Tim Adderley’s head was constantly gyrating as he threw every ounce of his being into punishing his kit. Guitarist Jonathan Khor rocked out like a quarry and although he didn’t play off the crowd as much as the other three did, he was still just as entertaining. Electronic drums and samples galore added to the pied musical canvas before me as every appendage on stage was flopping around like a nut sack in a sweltering Big Day Out mosh pit. At one point the Sydney based quartet were bobbing their heads to a different beat of the music; Wicks-Green to every forth, Khor to every third, Wilson to every second and Adderley to every beat. I’m not sure if it was planned or merely coincidence but it did amuse me while it was taking place. Guitar straps were the enemy of the band as both Wicks-Green and Wilson had to battle with guitars constantly trying to flee the stage, which had the roadies panicking more than the band seemed to put on. Sleep•Makes•Waves create lush musical landscapes which can be appreciated by people from all walks of life, ranging from pacifist hungry hippies to stubborn metal purists and it is little wonder they have gotten to where they are. Brilliant way to start the night.

After a rather lengthy visit to the world’s worst staffed bar, The Wolverine and I found ourselves back amongst the hot and sweaty crowd to welcome Brisbane’s DEAD LETTER CIRCUS to the arena. DLC are the epitome of bands exploding overnight; my first viewing of them was opening for Superb Lyrebird at the Annandale to twenty people and a mere month or two later, they had sold out the very same venue. The very fact that they were in the support slot showed just how epic the line-up was and when they opened the set with “The Space On The Wall”, the frenzied audience lapped it up. Anyone who has seen the band before knows about staccato friendly bassist Stewart Hill’s supernatural ability to nail his feet to the floor and bend around like the Roly Poly Man. The movement of his body effortlessly accents the position of every note he contributes to the melodies.  Vocalist Kim Benzie’s stage performance has come a long way since the release of DLC’s debut EP. He’s grown from an Ian Kenny impersonator into a whole new manifestation of commanding front-man that is entirely his own and he works the savage crowd like a seasoned conductor orchestrating the finale of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”. The instantly recognisable and altitude defying tones of his vocals are uniquely Dead Letter Circus and make their concoction of slightly prog inspired alternative rock easily accessible to any person who has ever proclaimed to have a love of music. Hits “The Mile” and “Cage” had the cattle singing along in droves as an orchard of branch-like arms lovingly reached out towards their idols on stage. I was half expecting Luke Williams on the drums to knee himself square in the jaw as his legs sprang off the pedals like a double-bounced cat off a trampoline. The battle continues as he absolutely punishes his snare after the break down of “One Step” which means it’s only a matter of time before one of them gets the better of the other. Six-string advocates Tom Skerlj and Clint Vincent guard the outer walls of the stage with an iron resolve, adding layer upon layer of echoed and delayed guitar work to the fold. Neither of the gargoyles let emotion betray their faces which causes them to look almost bored throughout the duration of the performance. Skerlj sporadically adds some extra stratums of percussion to the music, which visually takes the dynamic of the stage up an extra level to the excitement of a gentleman whipping me in the face with his dirty dreadlocks amid the mosh. DLC played a healthy mix of tracks from all of their releases which seemed to please every face in the room. Of particular note was when Benzie handed a camcorder to the centre security guard effectively making him a security camera (badoom ching). The sentries’ face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning at the chance of being involved in the show. As he handed back the device he proudly screamed out “Well that was a first for me” and resumed his post with a huge smile on his face. The Brisbane ambassadors close the lengthy set with the punchy single “Lodestar” which had Stew stomping around like a freshly angry Bruce Banner and gave the mob one more chance to unify with the band before they left the stage. Incredible set which put the anticipation for the headliner higher than what I had expected.  

Every eye in the room was focused upon the stage when the lights went dark. The tension in the room was denser than an adamantium coated bone claw and the drooling horde were waiting for their cue to start belting out their favourite prog rock anthems. Perth’s KARNIVOOL are welcomed to the platform with a cheer that would rival the decibel levels of the horn of Gondor and the boys waste no time by immediately busting out into the appropriately named monster that is “Goliath”. The sweeping guitars of Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking unify the bobbing heads of the room with a countdown for the advent of the bowel fisting rumbles of Jon Stockman’s beefy brown-noter. Steve Judd’s appendages were flailing around like paladin wielding a morning star as Ian Kenny’s head nodded like a curious cockatoo as he awaited his opening note. The atmosphere in the room was intense like the veins on the neck of a roided up body builder and as he opened his beer hole, the sweaty and overexcited chorus of punters insisted on adding their voices to his every word. EP track “Fade” made an unexpected appearance in the set and the entire room humorously belted out the first line of the song before mumbling the second one; even Kenny had a good laugh at our expense. The mosh was ready to cream their denim when C.O.T.E. had us frothing at the mouth at only three songs into the set. Hosking’s glorious barbarian beard couldn’t hide the child-like enjoyment he was experiencing as he brought the wrath of his twin hammers “Mjolnir” and “MC” down upon his unsuspecting xylophone. Kenny didn’t miss a note during the flawlessly executed “Umbra” as his expressive hands made you feel the raw emotion behind each song. The polyrhythm heavy tracks of “Asymmetry” were welcomed with open arms as Judd works the skins with a surgeon’s precision. “Sky Machine” and “We Are” had the masses swooning over Stockman’s delayed bass hooks and the angsty screams he used in “The Refusal” (which was my pick for the strongest song of the set); right down to the Lannister crimson lighting used to highlight the silhouettes of the prog-rockers. “Set Fire To The Hive” turned the audience into rage zombies by effectively injecting 20cc’s of adrenaline into the already savage punters. Kenny licked his lips as the ever increasing levels of excitement from the crowd became more obvious while Goddard maintained his cool demeanour throughout the set. Karnivool’s go to anthem “Themata” had us jumping like the boys from Kris Kross whilst the slow building “Alpha Omega” had me tingling with excitement of the arrival of Stockman’s thumping bass loop. As the band left the stage, the Karnivool brood voiced that they weren’t having a bar of it by being louder than an army of cats in heat. The Vool were heralded by a king’s welcome upon their return where they opened the encore with the fan favourite “Roquefort” much to the delight of the rabid audience. We jumped one last time and even the intrusive hair of Dreadlocks McSlappyface didn’t seem to bother me. Kenny thanks the crowd and announced the closing track “New Day” which had every security member on staff absolutely bewildered by the passionate crowd participation of the awe inspiring tune. Not  a single mouth in the octagon wasn't singing along to the perfectly chosen track to close this unbelievably ambitious show. The omission of songs such as “Simple Boy”, “Shutterspeed” and my personal favourite “Deadman” didn’t hinder the set one iota and I confidently walked away having witnessed the greatest performance I have ever seen Karnivool put on in my life; and I have seen a lot.

It’s gigs like this that make me go out and watch as many local bands as possible. I am filled with a sense of pride having witnessed all three bands quite early on in their prospective careers and seeing them evolve into rock titans that that are adored by strangers the world over. This success starts in the dingy pubs and dives around the country and without support from the people who claim to love music, then nights like this are going to become less accessible. If you like a support act then add them into your music library and make sure you join them on their journey. One gig a month really isn’t that hard to slip into your calendars.

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support the live music scene.

Joshua Towney

https://www.facebook.com/karnivool

https://www.facebook.com/deadlettercircus

https://www.facebook.com/sleepmakeswaves

The Butterfly Effect @ Mona Vale Hotel

BAND: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

VENUE: MONA VALE HOTEL

DATE: 29/12/13

SUPPORT: THE NERVE, TEAL

Anderson Silva screams like a banshee as he falls to the floor quicker than a businessman’s briefs in a whore house.  The zoo of blood hungry spectators spring out of their chairs faster than a greyhound on crack as a volley of high fives clash together harder than two opposing Iron Age armies. Tombledore elects to hold his position and immerse himself in the debate of the certainty of Floppy Foot's future MMA career. A lethargic Pikachu and I make our escape from the tavern amidst the swelling brouhaha and sneak in a quick siesta before our perilous journey into Mordor. Darkness shrouded our eyes as we rejuvenated our weary bodies and before we knew it, we were abruptly awoken by the screeching of an automated rooster. A quick glance at the social pokedex sent me into a panic as Sauron’s forces were set to march an hour earlier than expected. With a speed faster than Paris Hilton's acting career we found ourselves back at the tavern steps where the inebriated headmaster absconded from the inn with a wee four-pack of apple flavoured roadies. Our hire car hastily navigated the abandoned Christmas roads of Sydney Town and after a time crippling pit stop from Cider Bladder, we found ourselves descending into the ominous mists of Mona Vale.

The venue was emptier than the void left by a post Death Star Alderaan due to the show being pulled forward an hour early at the last minute. Unfortunately Sydney’s alternative rock quintet TEAL copped the brunt of this bullshit decision. It was evident when I walked in halfway through their set that they were less than happy about it as the performance was deflated like a week old balloon. The few of us in the audience who knew the potential of the band, gave the boys an aural cuddle with a thunderous cheer that should have come from a crowd three times its size. Vocalist Joe Surgey’s eyes lit up like those of a possum who had been caught stealing a mango and he humbly thanked us for the warm reception. With that little push, Teal were back in form; knocking the room dead with their solid brand of Mars Volta/Radiohead/Jeff Buckley flavoured rock. Bassist “Quiz” comes to life with a stage persona very similar to Scott Pilgrim; constantly bending his knees and leaning forward whilst standing on his tippy toes. Tombledore was quick to point out that the angry, militant Russian looking Shane “Bane” Benson on the skins brought down his sticks like the thunder of Zeus as he interlaced the songs with some gorgeous jungle-like tom work. Brothers Mitch and Andy Clews work their guitar legerdemain on opposite ends of the stage; Andy electing the role of the token shoe-gazer whilst Mitch bites his tongue whenever he is loses himself in the music. Surgey nailed his Buckley rivalling vocals, hitting notes higher than a stoner at the apex of Mount Everest. I only managed to watch two tunes from Teal’s performance before Walder Frey signalled his brethren to slit the band by the throat, effectively causing their set to end without warning. It was a really heartbreaking way to start the night as Teal in my opinion are the most promising band in Australia at the moment and they deserved a much better reception than what the Mona Vale Hotel had provided.

As Teal left the stage the punters started to filter through the door and people were heard complaining about missing them due to the rescheduling of the timetable. Everyone clung to the walls as Melbourne/Sydney based four piece rock outfit THE NERVE exploded out of the woodwork like a John McEnroe temper tantrum. The music is influenced by the likes of Drowning Pool, Head Filled Attraction, Kid Rock, Motorhead and Godsmack and has a blunt, in your face Australian feel to it that is impossible to overlook. My first introduction to veteran front man Ezekiel Ox (other than a quick glimpse of Full Scale opening for Sevendust) was at an empty Annandale hotel at the start of Mammal’s climb to fame. There were lucky to be ten people in the venue and the man performed as if there were five hundred in the room. He jumped up on the table in the middle of the room that I was standing behind and grinded into my face to the delight of my offsiders on the night. Anyone that knows me at all is well aware that I had a very deep seeded and passionate dislike of Mammal as a band but I was always captivated by Zeke’s dominating charisma and stage presence. Cut back to the present and it’s incredible to see that he has lost none of the oomf that have made every band he has been a part of a huge success. Sporting a purple shorts and rainbow socks combo, Mr Ox worked the void at the front of the room like a pro; targeting the people who looked like they were enjoying it the least and bringing the show to them. Modified moonwalking, corroboree-like dancing, nipple rubbing, model poses and jumping on top of the speakers to turn the spotlight out onto the crowd where he was performing, were but a few of the flamboyant and comedic rock moves he used in his arsenal to cause the room to salivate. After the deafening applause at the end of the opening track, Ox announced that he just proved that the front of the room wasn’t a barren waste land and it was a fucking rock show. Every person in the room meekly made their way to the front of the stage where we got a closer look at the rest of the band. On the skins was ex Cog legend Lucius Borich who literally had a smile on his face every second of the set. The kit he used was about half the size of what I’m used to watching him use but he still effortlessly makes every drum and cymbal in the rig his bitch. Bassist Davarj Thomas chewed his gum to the beat of the music whilst spooning out generous dollops of distortion heavy rumbles. Hammer-on abusing guitarist Glen Proudfoot’s jeans had more holes in them than an orgy on a golf course and his fingers danced across the strings like a budding coal walker on their first successful crossing. Even the roadie had his hands full the majority of the set; de-shirting Proudfoot mid performance and constantly untangling Zeke’s microphone lead throughout the set. The Nerve ensured to cram as much rock into their half hour set as possible which is guaranteed to put the hair back on alopecia riddled nugs across the country. The horde hung off every raspy word Ox uttered as the grunge/punk/metal inspired music added a delicious underlying canvas to lure the crowd deeper down the rabbit hole.  Tracks “Poser”, “Respect” and the gospel flavoured “Witness” were crowd favourites whilst the lads finished the set strong with the heaviest song of the night “14 again”. Zeke left the stage with a classy bow and left the three remaining musicians with a few minutes to lap up the affections of the crowd. Brilliantly entertaining set from a very young band who will be headlining sold out shows at major venues before you know it.

After an incredibly entertaining conversation with the gentlemen from Teal we were lured back inside by a sample of “Imago” from the album of the same name. Newly reformed THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT were here as a part of their first outing with new vocalist Paul Galagher who had massive shoes to fill following the departure of Clint Boge. I witnessed their Annandale performance on the first leg of the tour where everyone but the critics seemed to enjoy the show. It was awe inspiring to witness the sold out venue chanting “Paul! Paul! Paul!” three songs into the set. The problem that a good chunk of The Butterfly Effect’s fans have is that everyone goes in expecting Galagher to be an exact carbon copy of Boge. People need to accept that this is a new chapter in the band's career and that they wouldn't have elected any old slouch to front their well respected brand of highly influential, Australian prog rock. TBE smartly chose to open the set with “Filling Silence” from debut album “Begins Here” which immediately throws Galagher into the deep end and tests his skill set against Boge’s entire range. While the mix for the first half of the song caused the band as a whole to sound muddy, it didn’t take long for jaws to start dropping across the room. Galagher doesn't possess the theatrics that Boge brought to the band but he nails every note with military precision and in many instances surpasses his predecessor. Of particular note is when he reaches the higher/ballsier moments of songs where his vocals adopt a tasty grunge tone very similar to Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy. He is at his strongest when he has the microphone stand in his hands as he seems to dance with it, whilst his casual stage persona oddly enough reminds me of Lexxi Foxx from Steel Panther (without the lip gloss and pouting). The breakdown from “One Second Of Insanity” was slowed right down which although I didn't enjoy it at the Annandale show, seemed to work a treat this time around. The amount of faces guitarist Kurt Goedhart can make with his eyes closed is ridiculous as his dome bounces around like a bobble head toy. His unique flair is the heart and soul of the music as he throws traditional chords out the window in favour of his signature flurrying style. “Phoenix” sounded richer than a chocolate mud cake and was the first song of the set where Galagher’s grungy tones were a noticeable improvement over the last vocalist. Ben Hall’s glorious Spartan beard was lit up by the strobes at the back of the stage as he hammered away at his kit. Fan favourite “Window And The Watcher” had the crowd singing along in droves. It was always a song which I thought fell apart during the chorus but Galagher brought some much needed gusto to the performance where Boge wasn’t able to. Goedhart humorously screwed up the intro to “Aisles Of White” where Tombledore took it as an opportunity to whisper in my ear that Galagher “definitely wasn’t a substitute teacher”. There were some great harmonies with bassist Glen Esmond in some of the new tracks as Paul started to swig red wine from the bottle like the classy gentleman that he is. Esmond was the quiet achiever on stage; providing the crucial concrete foundation of voluptuous bass licks that brought the music to life. A slower paced “Perception Twin” and “Reach” had the mob eating out of their hands and before we knew it, Esmond announced the last song which led to universal groans of disapproval from the room. Galagher’s first single as front man “Eyes Down” which took me a few listens to wrap my head around, was chosen to close the show and was a more than worthy contender to do so. Killer set from the Brisbanosaurus Rex’s.

Even with the faux pas caused by the stubborn iron fist regime of The Mona Vale Hotel and the disappointing turnout, all three bands played as if the room was sold out like the professionals that they are. My crew hired a car for the day just so we could make it out to the gig which was well beyond my jurisdiction and it was worth every cent. With a bill consisting of a certified independent chart topper and two future groups of superstars, this show should have sold out the week it went on sale. The future of our great cities live music is in great peril if we don’t all get out to support the bands that deserve our attention. In the words of Captain Planet “The power is yours”.

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support the live music scene.

Joshua Towney

https://www.facebook.com/thebutterflyeffectau

https://www.facebook.com/thenerveaustralia

https://www.facebook.com/TealBand

NEOTOKYO - "NEON" Single Launch @ Spectrum

BAND: NEOTOKYO 

VENUE: SPECTRUM

DATE: 20/12/13

SUPPORT: MINUS HOUSE, RED REMEDY, WITCH FIGHT

“Thud! Thud! Thud!” came the sound of the footsteps ascending the aged and wooden stairs leading into Testosterone Manor. I was forced to release The Kraken as she was behaving like an ecstatic puppy whose owner had just come home from an exhausting day of working for the man. The nautical nightmare wrapped her galleon destroying tentacles around the ever smiling Jolly Tomjer whilst I took refuge from the heat amidst the path of the gyrating plastic blades of my twelve dollar K-Mart fan. I extended a lazy handshake to the Western Australian Minister for Water Conservation who came bearing gifts of ice cold apple ciders. We sculled the tart refreshments and with the speed of an alpha males maiden sexual encounter, we found ourselves marinating in the scorching sun we had so desperately tried to avoid all day. It was the type of weather that would have inspired the melting clocks of Salvador Dali’s masterpiece “The Persistence Of Memory”. The (Bon) jovial one espied a pauper’s limo, flagged it down with a skyward facing appendage and signalled us to enter the artic climate of the charcoal rent-a-car. The seductively cool temperature of the cab was negated by the awful top forty sounds of generic artist featuring generic artist but our chauffer Gagandeep ensured we made it to the burrito emporium with good haste. With our stomachs occupied by a splendid amount of salsa and guacamole, we entered Oxford Street’s Happy Meal sized venue, Spectrum.

Sydney’s fuzz heavy, stoner/punk two piece WITCH FIGHT open the show to a handful of early birds who opted to hang by the bar at the back of the room. I was immediately blown away by the biblically huge sound pummelling my senses which constantly caused Neotokyo’s shirts to fall off the walls behind the merch desk. The two members known only as “Boskie” and “Matty” instantly reminded me of the on screen bromance between Bill S Preston Esquire and Ted Theodore Logan. Matty’s guitar sound is huge as it has to play the secondary role of a bass on top of his own instrument. He accomplishes this by utilizing three cabs in his rig and by employing more fuzz than the combined British police forces. The only time he took his eyes off his axe was to exchange occasional loving smiles between himself and his percussionist offsider. Boskie resembled Jay (from Jay and Silent Bob) in his Ninja Turtles cap and had the difficult dual tasks of both drummer and vocalist. He assaults his kit with an intensity akin to a heroine junkie taking his first hit in over a month while his vocals are raspy and full of angst much like Zach de le Rocha of Rage Against The Machine. This combined with a solid throng of vocal echoes only added to their monumental sound. The songs had me tapping my feet while taking notes as I am reminded of tracks such as Queens Of The Stone Age’s “Millionaire”, Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock And Roll” and Beastie Boys “Sabotage”. The set was laden with glorious amounts of sarcasm as Boskie’s stage persona is a cynical fuck who constantly and humourlessly mocks the stagnant audience between songs. Whilst performing he was a child who had gotten a drum kit for Christmas. Every clash of stick versus skin sent a surge of adrenaline through his body which caused him to make more faces than a game of Guess Who? In summary; it was short, it was brash and it was splendid.

The room had started to fill out like a post pubescent girl by the time Sydney’s neo punk/rock quartet RED REMEDY hit the stage. The show opened with a tom intro similar to the one used in The Offspring’s “Gone Away” which led into the instantly memorable anthem “Love This Machine”. From the opening note there were some serious issues with the mix. The guitars were superfluously loud and the vocals were buried beneath them. Sadly it took Mr Sound Man until their second last song to rectify this situation. This was a massive shame as Red Remedy have shown me before that they know how to steal the show from the overcards (case in point, Like Thieves at the Annandale a few weeks ago). This might have explained why the crowd seemed so reluctant to occupy the front of the room during the performance and why they were so unreceptive to vocalist Zach Evans' usual charm. The sound the boys produce is heavily inspired by the like of Grinspoon, Shihad and Deftones with a teaspoon of Sevendust and System Of A Down thrown in. The result is catchy and ballsy and would satiate the appetites of even the most prudish of alternative music fans. Guitarist Leigh Czerwonka is a statue on stage; his eyes navigating the ocean of pedals sprawled out at his feet. Bassist Adrian Booth oscillated back and forth over the same patch of stage like a kelpie wearing a dirt path into a backyard lawn. Jess Rossiter has a percussion style very similar to Sevendust’s Morgan Rose; constantly throwing his whole body into every collision he had with the drums. Evans, who resembles a young Billy Corgan, was as cocky and charismatic as ever. He seemed to have a hand gesture for every word and was still better at sign language than the interpreter from Nelson Mandela’s memorial service. His vocals are a blend of Grinspoon’s Phil Jameson and Shihad’s Jon Toogood with some screamo thrown into the mix to keep it fresh. As if they weren’t already plagued with enough technical difficulties that were completely out of their control, the second last song saw the failure of the on stage lights which forced the band to play in total darkness for the duration of the tune. Final track “The Butcher” was easily the strongest of the set and saw some nice syncopation between the bass and toms. Its proven formula of fast paced heavy verses and soft choruses was a solid way to end the set.

The floor had become a fly trap due to the amount of spilt drinks it had lapped up throughout the course of the night and Sydney’s ethereal/alternative foursome MINUS HOUSE came out of the gates sounding crisper than a chocolate wafer. They opened their set with a vocal sample and counted in the music on the rim of the snare. The room came alive with a menagerie of reverbs and vocalist Rowan Cane’s signature airy falsetto. Stand out track “Animals” had the room ebbing and flowing like a winter ocean tide. My gaze was constantly drawn to guitarist Liam Clark who was dressed as the love child of Mick “Crocodile” Dundee and a Ming vase. He’s lost in his own little world when he plays and sings along to himself with his eyes closed. Peter Calvert’s effectless bass laid the foundation for the reverb heavy twin Stratocasters on stage, playing the role of BFF with the kick and often meandering off on its own which reminded me of the riff from “Seven Nation Army” (The White Stripes). It’s impossible not to picture Coldplay, Oceansize and Cog nodding their heads with approval for the raw talent they’ve inspired as I watch on in wonderment. Barney Hudswell continued the trend of show stealing drummers tonight up the back of the dais. He grit his teeth together every time without fail whenever he performed a drum roll and constantly licked his lips throughout the set.  He also provided some surprisingly angelic backup vocals from behind the skins which intertwined perfectly with Cane's wispy and warble tones. Cane's vocals seemed a bit strained and a tad weaker than a week ago when I saw them open for Melbourne’s rock heavyweights Sleep Parade but other than that I can’t find a single way to fault them. Minus House are as consistent as the sunrise and I expect massive things of them in the future.

I took the opportunity between bands to drain Bear Grills’ tangy, hydrating elixir from my body and stumbled into the wrong part of a conversation between the visibly excited and/or nervous members of NEOTOKYO doing the same thing. The Sydney prog/rock quartet were the men of the hour and were here to celebrate the release of their delicious single “Neon”. I wasn’t familiar with the song they chose to open their set with but fuck me it packed Tyson powered punch. The mix was perfect from the start with all the instruments in their arsenal getting their turn to shine in the spotlight. Chris Tantchev’s Silverchair-esque vocals exploded out of the previously dormant volcano as he eyed off the individual members of the hungry horde that had gathered before him. The band as a whole were visibly looser and more comfortable on stage than I had ever seen them before. Bassist Michael Bargache bounced around on stage like Happy Gilmore after his first win. The bass lines created by his floundering fingers were beefier than a muscle bound cow with a grudge eating a t-bone. Adam Furness was grooving whilst singing along to the music and feeding off the incredible vibe I could sense coming from the stage. The onslaught of his clean reverb and crunchy Cog-like guitars providing a solid canopy of atmospheric sounds. Both guitarists turned to serenade the drummer at a point early on in the set which unbelievably got the excitement levels of the percussionist even higher than what they were already at. Jason Ludwig is always an absolute pleasure to watch. He is the entirety of Disneyland encapsulated within a six year old kid that has been placed behind a drum kit. He was obviously feeling the energy on stage as he kept trying to goad Furness and Bargache to turn around so they could jam together. Even his eyebrows were in on the action, moving up and down with the swinging of his appendages. Tantchev really stepped up tonight and put on the performance of his life. He still comes across as awkward when he has nothing in his hands as they come up in front of his chest like the arms of a t-rex but the look of pure passion displayed on his face when holding a guitar or microphone truly is a spectacular thing to behold. Debut EP “Pillars” opening track “Speak” had the throng of punters bobbing like buoys in the water and when the chorus was upon us, Tantchev confidently ordered us to sing. And sing we did. The drum and bass syncopation at the origin of the Hoobastank flavoured “Red” was mightier than Mr T’s Mohawk during his glory days. The only real downside to the set was that every time Tantchev’s megaphone effect pedal was used it wailed in pain, letting out a piercing aural stab to the eardrums. It was quickly remedied but it always managed to snap me out of my trance which had the same effect as waking up from a dream where you ruled the seven seas on your stalwart pirate ship, The Rusty Cutlass. Ludwig sprayed out a fine mist of water from his gob in a display of Triple H fandom before the boys kicked into the closing track of the night “Neon”. The solid single ditches Neotokyo’s prog roots and pursues a more direct and straight up rock approach. Its sound is a unification of Rage Against The Machine’s “Wake Up” and The Butterfly Effect’s “In A Memory”. It’s solid, catchy, full of vocal and musical hooks and will be sure to turn a few unsuspecting heads in the months to come. It was a brilliant tune to end the night which left me more gratified than Mick Jagger finally getting some satisfaction.

There is no better way of getting back at your critics then by proving them wrong. Neotokyo invited me tonight to do just that. They listened to the criticisms Imade about their performance at The Locies and ironed the majority of the kinks from their live show. They went above and beyond what I’ve ever seen them do before and proved to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have the right mental aptitude and raw talent it takes to conquer Australia’s perilous alternative music scene.

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support the live music scene.

Joshua Towney

https://www.facebook.com/NeotokyoMusic

https://www.facebook.com/minushouse

https://www.facebook.com/redremedyband

https://www.facebook.com/witchfight

SLEEP PARADE @ THE LANSDOWNE w/ supports

BAND: SLEEP PARADE

VENUE: THE LANSDOWNE

DATE: 13/12/13

SUPPORT: MINUS HOUSE, VILLAGE ECHOES

Moses Belamy stood at the base of the M4 motorway to part the perilous Sydney traffic, allowing the star struck and doe eyed Israelites that shadowed him to make their mass exodus towards the asylum of Fort All Phones. Only the rich and opportunistic were chosen to make the pilgrimage to witness the combined aural onslaught of Muse and Birds Of Tokyo. This meant that my Padawan and I were left to brave the muggy city weather in hopes of locating a more economical form of musical entertainment. Word soon hit our hungry ears of a free event being held at iconic music hovel The Lansdowne Hotel, which fell well into our paper thin budget. We hastily made tracks towards the econo-savvy dive, making sure to always travel in single file to hide our numbers. Arriving quicker than Leonardo Dicaprio’s journey to secure his inaugural Oscar, we enter the carpetless room where the beading, steel beer pipes were adorned with Yuletide tinsels of red, silver and green. The kitchen gods upstairs served up an animal friendly feast of vegetable sandwich towers, sticks of fried potato and flagons of gelid amber able to break our fast. After our stomachs had deemed themselves satisfied, I escorted my eager apprentice back downstairs into the musty band room where we awaited the advent of the preliminary performers.

I first scouted Sydney indie 3 piece VILLAGE ECHOES a few weeks ago at the Locies where I picked up a copy of their debut EP “Evolve” and I was curious to see how it would transition live now that I knew the songs. They demonstrate an abundance of influences throughout their performance with the likes of Bloc Party, Foo Fighters and Good Charlotte tickling my giddy eardrums. I immediately notice the absence of second guitarist Lauren Shapiro both in presence and in the richness of their sound. The songs all have the potential to be certified pop hits but they lack the punch that they possessed at the Locies without Shapiro there to chunk it up. Ridiculously catchy single “Another Thought” which is heavily influenced by the likes of Arctic Monkeys and The Living End seemed to suffer the most from her absence. Dominating stage presence Steve Parfitt wields his bass as if it were an extension of his own body and makes great use of his effects pedals to essentially turn a chisel into a jackhammer. He is by far the most comfortable on stage and seems to have a blast playing the music regardless of how lacking the crowd were during their set. Guitarist/vocalist Alex Almasi seemed distracted and uncomfortable whilst singing throughout the set, possibly due to his inexperience onstage or maybe because his father was videotaping the performance on his phone. When he moved away from the microphone and was purely focused on just playing guitar, his performance improved tenfold. The vocals of Almasi and Parfitt are almost identical and add no real diversity when both are singing at the same time. Up the back of the stage, powerhouse percussionist James Pounsett never took his eyes off the toms of his kit. The volume of his snare was set to eleven and the muscle memory of his arms ensured that they never missed their targets. He made great use of 16/4 beats and the cowbell whilst a single tuft of his fringe seemed to be trying to perform the role of a third drumstick. Slower track “In Memory” was by far the strongest of their performance as it was the first song to sound rich and full. Village Echoes are still quite a young band who show a lot of promise and are definitely a group to keep your eyes on. Every aspect of their performance will improve with a steady run of live shows and the sorely needed re-addition of a second axe into the group.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Sydney’s ethereal/alternative rock outfit MINUS HOUSE were on the bill. I first caught the boy’s open for Dead Letter Circus last year and was instantly hooked. Their sound is huge from the first note and the abundance of icy reverb coming from both guitars reminded me of Donkey Kong Country’s dreaded water levels. Coldplay was the most obvious influence throughout the set with some Oceansize and Cog thrown into the mix to keep it interesting. Rowan Cane’s stage persona seems disinterested in the performance, which oddly enough makes it all the more compelling. His captivating vocals ranged from airy and wispy falsettos through to some very sparingly used screams at the apex of huge crescendos in the music. Guitarist and Van Helsing impersonator Liam Clark was in another place the majority of the set, seemingly being lost in the music he was creating. Hirsute bassist Peter Calvert provided a rock solid foundation for the multitude of layered effects created by Cane and Clark. He did this without the use of a single effects pedal and by getting the deep humming drones of his instrument to waltz in time with the kick of the drums. He kept trying to sweep the mane from his bearded face which only angered his curly, chestnut locks. Drummer Barney Hudswell is an intense force on stage. He utilized his cymbals brilliantly and possessed great skills on the toms. Hudswell added an interesting level of fervour to the quartet by letting out a roar with every forth beat of the music and throwing in sporadic bursts of head twitches to let the room know he meant business. Minus House never announced their last song, so I was completely caught up in the atmospheric tunes when the set seemed to end without warning, leaving me disappointed and wanting more. I have no idea if it was a brilliant move by Cane or if they simply forgot to mention it. Either way, I’m gagging to catch them again.

Before tonight, Melbourne’s alternative rockers SLEEP PARADE were a band whose hype I just couldn’t fathom. They have gained the respect of Australia’s most prominent alternative artists with Cog, Karnivool and Dead Letter Circus amongst their supporters. I’d seen them play as a three piece a few times and I even walked out of their set the last time they were in Sydney when they opened for The Butterfly Effect. My opinion of them was about to change. Matt Delaney, the tenth member of the Weasly family, had made the move from bass to guitar and he was a much stronger performer because of it. He was utilizing some synth as well but it was completely lost in the mix until the end of the set. Taking his place was Silent Bob look alike Braiden Michetti who single-handedly shifted the dynamic of Sleep Parade from pub rock band to guaranteed stadium fillers. His bass lines played an integral role to the new format and made the overall sound a thousand times more vibrant. Think how important Chi Cheng’s bass line was in Deftones “Change (In The House Of Flies)”. This is what he brings to the table. Leigh Davies was sporting his trademark fedora and vest combo; he had no shoes but was all class. The charismatic front man brought along a legion of guitars with enough glitter in them to out sparkle the twilight universe. His vocals are the result of Jon Hume (Evermore) being thrown into a boiling cauldron with a half sprinkle of Craig Nicholls (The Vines) and Matt Belamy (Muse). Delaney on the other hand reaches notes only achievable by a castrated cherub which provides a nice contrast to Davies’ raspy vocals. Influences such as Muse, Radiohead and Coldplay rang clear throughout the set with hit track “Carry On” causing every head in the room (including the trio of bar tenders) to bob along to the beat of the song. No piece of the drum kit was safe from Dan Teng who had a look on his face as if he was in mid orgasm the entire duration of the set. The man really enjoys hitting shit with sticks. The distortion was sharp, crunchy and echoless while the clean guitars littered the room with copious amounts of reverb. A great moment in the set came when all four members repeatedly chanted “Ooyawayah” which served as a really powerful opening for the Cog-like anthem that followed it. Everyone in this band can sing in tune which is so god damned refreshing. The resulting harmonies that come from it are light-years ahead of what most bands are capable of and only serve to further increase the monumental wall of sound that was being displayed before me. Davies’ smile on stage whenever they played any new material was infectious; it was a grin of pure pride. A new song in the set which reminded me of Hed (P.E.)’s “I Got You” made me tilt my head like a confused dog, as it took me a while to wrap my head around it. It kept changing direction like a shuttle run, showcasing simple tom poundage and sludgy, note-bending guitar work akin to a spaghetti western. On the other end of the spectrum, song of the set “Passenger” roused a huge crowd reaction and was the strongest way possible to finish their gargantuan show. It opened with a jaw dropping bass line which continually danced scales up and down the stings of the brown noter and ended with the entire band engaged in glorious orchestrated chaos reminiscent of a raging thunderstorm. Sleep Parade left the stage having played a near flawless show chock full of anthems from start to finish. After the initial applause, the thirty or so people in the crowd chatted amongst themselves without a cheer to be heard which is why I was completely shocked to the point of almost being disgusted by the fact that they returned for an encore. The whole purpose of an encore is to make the fans demand it not to force it down our throats. However I quickly forgave them as the final song was a corker of prog rock splendour. Davies left me speechless when he screamed into the humbuckers of his guitars to create an amazing soaring effect similar to the sample of the baby used in Rammstein’s “Mutter”. It left me foaming like a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert and made me instantly forget about the poorly incorporated encore from before. This demonstrated without question, just how ambitious and epic these rocking Melbournite’s are.

Once again the turnout to support touring Aussie bands was beyond disappointing. Sydney’s support of live music is infamous for being next to non-existent. I understand Muse were playing on the same night but this was a free gig which barely managed to get 40 people to the venue. This had nothing to do with the quality of bands on show (which was phenomenal), just the attitudes of Sydney’s elitist music fans who won’t watch a band unless they’re signed. Every band that played tonight have the potential to be something huge and I’ll be proud to say that I was there for them when no one else would give them the time of day.

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support the live music scene.

Joshua Towney

https://www.facebook.com/sleepparade

https://www.facebook.com/minushouse

https://www.facebook.com/VillageEchoes

Bellusira @ Spectrum w/supports

BAND: BELLUSIRA

VENUE: SPECTRUM

DATE: 29/11/13

SUPPORT: STELLAR ADDICTION, BONNEY READ, WE WITHOUT

Like rats escaping a sinking pirate galleon, we poured out of the sandstone and marble prison in droves, determined to make it to the comfort of our happy place in order to wash the stink of the weeks drudging work from our corporate tainted bodies. The early deserters chose to disappear into the subterranean train mines of Moria while the stragglers opted to seek out the refuge of the nearest watering hole. My journey required a bit of backtracking as I had received a raven from Westfield Keep informing me of my protégés early parole. I swam against the current of escapees like a salmon ready to release its spawn onto the gravel beds of Pitt Street. I narrowly avoided the grasp of a few strategically placed grizzlies along the river bank and crossed the keeps foreboding portcullis where I received two banana smoothies for the steep price of a golden dragon. My protégés eyes opened wide as I bestowed her with the arctic gift and she rewarded me with her knowledge of a shortcut to our destination. She guided me around the Minotaur’s stone labyrinth, through the hobo scented Sherwood Forest and into the quirky mayhem of Oxford Street. We arrive at Spectrum nightclub without delay and ascend the booze hazard stairs into the bite size venue for a night of fem heavy rock.

It’s always nice to see a crowd show up for the first band as it is sadly viewed as taboo these days to arrive before the headliner hits the stage. I posted a rather scathing review of Sydney alternative rock/grunge act WE WITHOUT a few weeks ago and I was curious to see how much of my criticism came down to the mixing on the night. Their set was heralded by a choir of bomb sirens overlapped by a vocal sample akin to the one used in Metallica’s “One”. From the first note I noticed a definite improvement and even began tapping my foot along to the opening track. The mix was good except for the samples which couldn’t be heard for the entire duration of the set. Vocalist Chad Kemp demonstrates a naturally lax tone to his voice on the bands EP but every note seemed to be a monumental effort for him to reach during the live performance. Regardless of this, his natural mic skills and comfort on stage made him a decent driving force for the band. His vocals are a mixture of Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) and Scott Stapp (Creed) and suit the nineties style, hard rock music to a “T”. Rick Thomas was having a blast on stage as he grinded away at his bass whilst singing along to himself. Guitarists Cameron Roberts and Rob Chapple provided polar opposite sounds which layered into an effective wall of Breed 77 style distortion and flange fuelled, icy solos. There was a lot of static from Chapple’s guitar whilst idle but this didn’t seem to affect the sound during the performance. Percussionist Adam Ruggeri is an equal opportunity drummer, applying liberal amounts of poundage to every piece of his kit. Each song announced its influences as the performance progressed; Soundgarden, Queens Of The Stone Age, Powderfinger and even “Road House Blues” by The Doors. Kemp announced mid set that it was “National Australian Band Shirt Day” and that they were willing to supply some to anyone in the room not wearing one……… available from the merch stand. Cheeky bastard. He then jumped offstage and brilliantly used a megaphone from within the crowd mid verse which I’ll admit, brought a smile to my face. The set ended with an ample cover of Ou Est Le Swimming Pool’s “I Just Dance The Way I Feel” which drew the biggest crowd reaction of their show. Much, much better performance from We Without this time around.

The venue was filling up and the boys in the room were being outnumbered by the ladies at a ratio of nine to one.  Sydney fem fronted, punk rock foursome BONNEY READ were donning matching, sleeveless denim vests and were ready to annihilate the claustrophobic, nightmare inducing room. After a rather lengthy set up, the extremely alluring group kicked off to a great reception. Jess Cooper, who wore a scowl for the duration of the sound check, pulled out an incredibly feisty, husky and pitch perfect voice which I really didn’t expect from her. Her visage, a sanctuary of piercings and obsidian eyeliner, projected an element of cool rarely seen in front women these days. Strategically placed winks were liberally thrown out into the vagina heavy horde whilst her eyebrows rivalled The Rocks and seemed to be able to portray whole sentences without ever uttering a word. The voice in itself screamed of Joan Jett with a dollop of country vixen and fit the music like a jigsaw puzzle piece; nothing else would have worked. The mix caused the trio of guitars to sound weak in the beginning and wasn’t remedied until after they had played most of their show. Bassist Jeremy Goldfinch wielded his fringe like a weapon, ferociously slicing any piece of air foolish enough to get in front of him. Kat Ayala bounced around like an eight week old puppy on ecstasy. Her guitar work was fast and gritty yet polished like a brass door knob. The onstage chemistry of Ayala and Goldfinch was phenomenal with a photo albums worth of smiles being shared between them. Coopers guitar was hollow to my ears and desperately needed a lot more body to it in order to maximise the potential of their live show. Astrid Holz drummed like an ADHD kid who had swapped her Ritalin for glucose based placebos; she just wouldn’t sit still. She bounced around like Pamela Anderson’s tits on the set of Baywatch and was beaming the whole set. The three girls in the band utilized their massively contrasting vocal range to create incredible harmonies which sent tingles throughout the spines filling the room. The final three songs were noticeably stronger than the first half of the set which didn’t matter in the slightest as it was still loaded with fast-paced and accessible jukebox anthems.

The next band on the bill utilized a piece of marketing genius that I have never seen before at a gig. Scantily clad promo girls patrolled the room handing out branded STELLAR ADDICTION G-Bangers to the audience; because if history has taught the world anything, it’s that sex sells. Imagine this; you’re about to get a glimpse of your lady’s bits and the last thing you witness are the words “Stellar Addiction” which will permanently be branded into your subconscious as a direct link to poon. The band used the start of their performance as an opportunity to launch the film clip for their new single “Second On Your Mind”. Technical difficulties delayed the proceedings and after what felt like an eternity, the band were ready to prove to the room why they deserved the main support slot. Stacy Abdila opened her gob………. HOLY FUCKING PIPES BATMAN! Think Paramore’s Hayley Williams and Kay Hanley of Letters To Cleo (the band that performs on the roof in the credits of 10 Things I Hate About You). She is a powerhouse of a front woman who oozes confidence and has a vocal range that could compete with the most accomplished of divas. The music is influenced by the punk rock bands of the turn of the millennium such as No Doubt, The Offspring and to a lesser extent Killing Heidi. Michael Giameos’ guitar solos were completely lost for the first half of the set but when the mix evened out, he demonstrated incredible musical fortitude. Session bassist David Rice never took his eyes of the frets of his instrument and hid at the back of the stage the whole set. Guitarist Goldwyn Tagud was an entertaining specimen; Geeing up the crowd by incorporating himself into it and leading the clapping from within. He wasn’t content with his half of the dais either, constantly swapping sides to be with Giameos and trying to give Rice some time in the spotlight. Tanya Carboni performed like a demon on the skins and brilliantly introduced a large amount of double kick into a style of music that normally shies away from it. The crowd were livid during the performance with a few adorably smitten couples swing dancing and dipping each other in the front row. Stand out track “The Promise” continued to satiate the appetite of the rabid fans with the incredibly humble Abdila shouting praises for all in attendance tonight. Stellar Addiction ended their set with a larger than life cover of Spice Girls “Wannabe”. It was everything a cover should be; they made it their own whilst respecting the original and it sent the already foaming throng of punters ballistic. Definitely a band to keep on your radar as they are destined for bigger things.

I first stumbled across Melbourne alternative rock Spartans BELLUSIRA when they opened for Sydney’s Breaking Orbit on their “Silence Seekers” tour earlier in the year. They were yet another band who I had put off watching for the last 8 years and kicked myself immediately after finally doing so. Everything about them is epic, gargantuan and sexually charged. The sound is crispier than a freshly fallen granny smith apple from the count in. Crystal Ignite has natural, effortless charisma and you can’t help but swoon over her. Her punchy, raspy and authoritative vocals are the envy of punk rock girls everywhere as they emulate and sometimes surpass the likes of Gwen Stefani (No Doubt) and the aforementioned Hayley Williams of Paramore. She commands the attention of the room in her candy striped top and constantly thanks the audience for coming. When easily excited bassist Mark Dalbeth isn’t lost in a daydream, he is winding up the dawdlers of the mob that Ignite somehow managed to overlook. The sound of his weapon is beefy and his on stage chemistry with his wife (Ignite) is incredible to watch. Chris Zoupa’s guitars were solid and chunky, forfeiting the need for a second guitarist. He wasn’t a slouch on his instrument either with his fingers bouncing off the strings like mallets off a xylophone. The tone was influenced by heavier bands Korn, Sevendust and a splash of Guns n Roses which slotted nicely into the slightly softer tones of Bellusira. In the interest of creating feng shui on stage, Dalbeth wore his bass as low as Mark Hoppus (Blink 182) while Zoupa had his guitar as high as Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine). Up the back of the stage, percussionist James Mileto had the impossible task of trying to compete with the trio of massively noticeable personalities in front of him. He constantly played off Dalbeth throughout the set, his kick frequently unifying with the bass to help create a solid pulse for the music. Bellusira pulled the most receptive crowd of the night because after ten years of playing together, they are more solid than a fibreless turd. The highlight of the set for me came from a moment when Ignite made a comment about lesbians, realised what came out of her mouth than apologetically said that she used to be one before she met her husband. The sheer smug look that blanketed Dalbeth’s face was comedy gold and was probably the proudest moment of his life. Ignite thanked the fans one more time before announcing that it would probably be their last Australian show for a while because they had been signed and were heading off to do bigger things. The final song of the set was an absolute corker which screamed of Dead Letter Circus and was a delicious way to end an epic night.

This was the first gig I’ve been to in a very long time where the first band were able to pull a crowd and every group stayed to watch each other play. All four bands killed it tonight and no one was out of place on the bill. It has helped restore a lot of my faith in the local music scene and the stability of it going forward.

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support the live music scene.

Joshua Towney

https://www.facebook.com/bellusira

https://www.facebook.com/StellarAddiction

https://www.facebook.com/bonneyread

https://www.facebook.com/wewithout

The Locies: A Review Of Sydney's Alternative Music Awards

EVENT: THE LOCIES presented by THE SYNETHESIA MASSIVE

VENUE: FACTORY THEATRE

DATE: 23/11/13

Our journey begins at the iconic Lansdowne Hotel in Chippendale. The camera pans through the double hinged doors and onto our narrator as he overthrows his opponent, “The Succubus Of Enmore” with a flawless victory in a gentlemen’s game of pool. She concedes defeat and hints that we should make tracks so that we can make it to our destination on time. A brisk walk through the sundry nirvana that is Newtown sees us face to face with Marrickville’s foreboding music citadel, the infamous Factory Theatre. Squires and fair maidens were summoned here from across the realm to witness the wedding of the century. Eighteen artists representing a plethora of musical genres would join together to celebrate the inaugural LOCIES, Sydney’s own alternative music awards. We franticly passed a troupe of vividly dressed jugglers and rushed upstairs towards the Fusebox stage in order to catch the virgin performers of the day.

I peered meekly into the vacant room where my eyes were greeted by a lone bearded sentry, surveying the stage from his centralised pedestal. He smiled as he ushered us into the dimly lit room and jested that we were just in time to catch their rehearsal, a joke pointing out the lack of punters in the room. Our hirsute guide joins the ragtag cast of flower children on stage and we are introduced to quaint Sydney folk sextet LITTLE HART with CAM RAEBURN. Fellow hairy member Miles Johnson invites the five strong observation team to take a seat on the floor and enjoy the show. We obliged the alien request and I sat confused, completely oblivious to what I was about to witness. Acoustic guitarist Louise Miller’s chilling, wispy vocals are on par with Julia Stone in the opening track from the band which immediately gives me the sensation of floating down a river in the country. The band take the time to learn all our names and dedicate the second track to the spirit child seated in front of me who took the acknowledgement as an invitation to dance like a space cadet for the rest of the performance. An orchestra of instruments line the stage and with them, five vocalists with surprisingly deceptive voices. The sheer power of violinist Bron Watkins’ ethereal tones caused me to tear up with admiration. The role of tenor was supplied by Cam Raeburn who strummed his ukulele like a flamenco by the end of the set. Electric guitarist Miles Johnson supplied a gentle baritone from his small framed body and Mitchel Creecy admired his band mates while he tapped away on his snare lined wooden crate. The biggest surprise of the set for me came from lanky bassist Scott Davey who was a dead ringer for Shaggy from Scooby Doo. The guy’s voice was raspy, deep and sounded like he had smoked a cigar every day for the last forty years. The band in its entirety was charismatic and their vocals complimented each other perfectly like the multiple layers of a homemade lasagne. They threw in some gorgeous acapella for good measure just in case we weren’t already blown away. The stand out track for me was “Maybe Low” which once again had me reaching for the tissues. Considering this isn’t even my style of music, this was the perfect way to start the day.

Dj outfit DA HEEBIE JEEBIES open with a nostalgic remix of Aladdin’s “You ain’t never had a friend like me”. It was all silly fun as the filthy hippies behind the turntables joked with each other throughout the set while dancing for their own amusement. A pumping mix of Red Hot Chilli Peppers “Give It Away Now” got a few people dancing. I absorbed what I could from the set and made my way downstairs to the Floor Stage to catch the next performers.

Upcoming Sydney foursome VILLAGE ECHOES open the Floor Stage with their fresh take on turn of the millennium inspired indie rock. More people had decided to show up for this set but they decided to hug the walls. I close my eyes as the amalgamation of influences fill my ears; Foo Fighters, early Good Charlotte, Bloc Party and the upcoming single bears a distinct Arctic Monkeys flavour. Guitarist Lauren Shapiro shames the boys by sporting more tattoos than the three combined. Alex Almasi was comfortable behind the mike but his vocals suffered from being too far back in the mix. James Pounsett demonstrated some crisp drum fills and showed great cymbal work. The track “Sleeping In” was a highlight for me and would make a great composition for a sad montage of a movie. I found that each song the band played was fresh and very easy to dance to. Shapiro broke the set up nicely by taking over the vocals with her distinctive indie voice. Bassist Steve Parfitt was the most entertaining of the four with a stage presence similar to Jason Newstead of Metallica. Impressive set from these ambitious young upstarts.

I rolled my eyes as seasoned Sydney quartet AGE OF MENACE were setting up because I had stupidly labelled them as nothing but daft thrash metal before they had even started the set. They managed to draw the first real crowd of the day so I decided to stay and see them out, which turned out to be one of the best decisions of my day. These guys were a band out of time but they delivered a punching hard rock/metal set with a no bullshit approach. From the get go Rob Smiths vocals were drowned from the overly loud, empty bodied, phaser heavy distortion of Pete Ross’s Slayer-esque guitars. This was remedied soon into the second song when I couldn’t help but be reminded of how much the band sounded like Powerman 5000. It was a really fun set for the audience and the band with bassist Adam Barns seemingly having the most fun in the room. Smith’s vocals were a combination of Dez Fafara of Coal Chamber/Devil Driver and Spider One of Powerman 5000 and it was fucking awesome. An incredible moment of the set came from a verse where Adam Breakspear only hit the toms and Smith rapped over the top. This lead to an incredible drop when the rest of the band came in.  The band only got better as the set continued and my only criticisms by the end of it were that the bass and backing vocals were a little lost in the mix.

BLACK BREAKS were another band I had never heard of before today’s events and they had easily drawn the biggest crowd of the entire day. This set screamed of fun even before they had started playing with the Earl of charisma, Chris Dubrow verbally licking the asshole of Stu the sound guy behind the duct tape mother ship that was his guitar. The band sported adorable matching vests to entertain us with their sexually charged brand of party rock. Opening track “Alien Nation” had the room buzzing early. Its well tested formula was akin The Sweet’s “Ballroom Blitz” and Foo Fighters “All My Life”. Dubrow is a rock star in every sense of the word and you can’t help but be drawn to his dominating stage presence. With that being said he humbly directs attention equally to every other member of his band. The super low, distorted, twangy bass notes of Mark Avery combined with the well suited electronics of new member Matty MacMartin help drive and infuse the party rock madness with a distinct industrial edge. More influences come into the fray as the set continues. Sex Pistols, Black Flag, Motorhead and Mammal are thrown in my direction as Dubrow spits lyrical with his spoken and rapped verses. MM9s Kerry Foulke brings his priceless experience to the band and rocks out like a possessed Hatebreed fan at his first gig. Tracks “Take Take Take” and “Blah Blah Blah Black President” had the whole crowd dancing and the comedic timing strewn between the two was genius. At the end of the set Dubrow gave a heartfelt speech about how the decline of live music in Sydney is an easily rectifiable issue that can be amended by everyone simply attending one gig a month; a message I support 100%. Black Breaks set the bar unusually high for the rest of the bands of the day. I felt bad for whoever was up next.

The crowd had grown noticeably smaller for Sydney rockers DRAW. A loyal troupe of what I’m assuming were friends, line the front of the stage and the band kick into an instantly Audioslave flavoured set. Vocalist Michael Rappell appears out of nowhere; the spitting image of Jim Morrison (The Doors). He desperately tries to emulate his idol and after a single song is visibly out of breath. The stage presence of the band was non-existent with the exception of multi instrumental prodigy Brad Kafer. Mid set came a woeful cover of Coolio’s “Gansta’s Paradise” which was so awful that the cringe was travelling around the room like an electric current passing through a chain of kids holding an electric fence. The poor kid on the end was going to cop the brunt of it; unfortunately that kid was me. The synth was completely lost in the mix and Rappell’s overuse of the megaphone was done to death. It wasn’t all bad though. Draw finally managed to come alive when they completely shifted gears and decided they were a Chilli Peppers styled funk band. The finale was a decent song too which incorporated the occasional angry vocals and some surprisingly effective disjointed breaks. Maybe I was still giddy from watching Black Breaks or maybe Draw just aren’t very good. Either way, I wasn’t impressed.

NEOTOKYO are a band that I have seen before and I really want to succeed. Debut EP “Pillars” is a corker from start to finish and shows the talent and ambition behind this great Sydney four piece. I instantaneously notice that jovial percussionist Jason Ludwig is sapping all the happiness from the other three members of the band. Shoeless bassist Michael Bargache does his thing in the corner but the tone of his instrument needs to be a butt load beefier to fatten out the breezy tones of Adam Funrness’s flurry of deliciously delayed guitars. Neotokyo have stumbled across a rare treasure within vocalist Chris Tantchev who is a major asset to the group. His vocals, an amalgamation of Daniel Johns (Silverchair) and Tyrone Bain (Ashphoenix), effortlessly crescendo into beautiful, heartfelt ballads. Neotokyo in my opinion seem to fall down live because apart from Ludwig, who mouths the noise of every part of his kit as he hits it, no one in the band engages the audience. Every band will have their share of shoe gazers which is a given but because of the non-existent interaction from the guitarists, the onus falls on the shoulders of the incredibly gifted Chris Tantchev. He gazes over the crowd to the point of almost looking asleep onstage and is incredibly awkward using a microphone stand. He gives the stand the boot after a while and immediately seems more in his element albeit a little stage shy. Opening EP track “Speak” is the standout of the set. I found myself singing along to its instantly memorable vocal hooks which really demonstrate the bands integrity as song writers. They close the set with new single “Neon” which has an infusion of Hoobastank to it which works well with the direction of the band and ended the set strong.

Event organiser Angelina Hodgson informed me earlier in the day that the one band I absolutely had to witness was Brisbane’s CALIGULA’S HORSE. Upon arrival to the Floor Stage the prog rock superstars had my attention with two branded banners that had framed the stage. This small detail had already set this ambitious band apart from the rest of the bill before they had even played a note and at the genesis of their set my jaw hit the floor. And the floor under that. And the floor under that. The glorious sounds of Opeth laced with but a smidgen of djent stimulate my overly spoilt ear holes. Supermodel vocalist Jim “The Ken Doll” Grey delivers incredibly potent, driving vocals which took the best parts from Chaos Divines’ David Anderton, The Butterfly Effects Clint Boge and Karnivool’s Ian Kenny and turned them into a hulking leviathan to drive the band. He is theatrical with his performance and makes you feel the emotion behind the lyrics even if his voice was hard to hear at times in the mix. God damn he is a pretty, pretty man. The music was gothic, operatic and downright sexual. At one point I swear Dave Couper (who bears a striking resemblance to Little John from Men In Tights) stared me down as I was taking notes as if to say “Na baby. You keep doing your thing, and do it real slow like”. All this was while he was frantically fingering the steel ropes of his bass like a Parkinson’s patient on red bull. The music was covered in a chainmail of tightly wound key changes and acute, unified notes. It was syncopated nirvana and the crowd was lapping it up by the gallon. Snowflakes of Periphery fell from the speakers as the luxurious, fire kissed, Rapunzel length hair of Drum monkey Geoff Irish lit up the back of the stage like a Texan sunset. This band was good and every aspect of their performance demonstrated that they were fully self-aware. Zac Greensill charged away on his axe, dicing it to pieces as the set progressed. Animals As Leaders could be heard now as Irish counted the timing in his head in between strategically placed winks to the girls in the crowd. No effect was out of place as these Mensa accredited musicians continued to seduce me and everyone around me. Omnipotent guitarist Sam Vallen performed like a gladiator fighting for his life and knew every inch of his instrument right down to the microscopic hairs in its asshole. I was so wrapped up in the performance that when the music ended leaving nothing but a half second of falsetto, I found myself uncontrollably tapping my foot to the beat of song that had just expired. I was ready to drop my derps in the middle of the room and to start going to town on myself at the conclusion of the appropriately titled “Colossus” and the cynical sense of humour that exuberated from the Queenslandians only made the experience that much more enjoyable. Needless to say, I am now a loyal and devoted fan. Verdict? BAND! OF! THE! DAY!

I’m going to say right off the bat that TEAL are going to be the next big band in Australia. I’ve seen them open for Twelve Foot Ninja and The Butterfly Effect and bring the house down on both occasions. Teal are fresh yet familiar. The songs are chock full of vocal and melodic hooks which are sure to drop the pants off many a mistress in bedrooms Australia wide. The boys struggled with some technical difficulties while setting up and it was evident by the amount of shoe gazing going on that they were upset at the beginning of their set. However Vocalist supreme Joe Surgey over performed to help pull his band mates out of their slump and had them firing on all pistons half way into the opening track. Surgey’s intense and peculiar performance causes the veins in his neck to surface for air like an orca. His flawless vocal chords producing a fusion of Cedric Bixler-Zavala (The Mars Volta), Matt Bellamy (Muse) and Jeff Buckley which would rival all three of these powerhouses any given day of the week. Each track seems to identify with a different time signature as the major influences of Radiohead and The Mars Volta are worn proudly on their sleeves. The guitarists manually handled the effects on their pedals resulting in a brilliant whirling, static like sound akin a turning the dials on an old timey radio. Surgey sheds his technicolour dream coat mid set to reveal a minecraft shirt which got it fair share of giggles around the room. Fan favourite track “Solitaires” demonstrates just what a wrecking ball the Sydney quintet have in their arsenal in terms of writing and it is delivered with flawless execution on this most momentous of nights. Teal are a larger than life band who will have promoters and label managers fighting over them in the very near future.

Because I’d already seen them ten to fifteen times before, I decided to give the ever impressive Meniscus a miss in favour of SVELT, a self-dubbed bass heavy “jungle groove” act hailing from Sydney. I found these guys really hard to review as it is not my type of music at all. The drum, bass and synth trio played an entertaining show and I imagined Michel Winslow’s Spaceballs character giving his status report of “I’ve lost the bleeps. I’ve lost the beeps and I’ve lost the creeps” throughout. The allure of the upstairs band became too much however and I found myself being whisked up the onyx steps before I knew it.

Sydney’s instrumental post rock trio MENISCUS drew every musician in the venue to their stage. The crowd was rowdy as I entered; the boys from Caligula’s Horse even rowdier. I was shattered upon learning that I had walked in just in time to catch the last song and I nestled myself amongst the bewildered onlookers to catch these gargantuan performers melt some faces in the room. The ambient, rainforest sampled track that was “Cusp” had the masses watching in silence, trying to piece together exactly how guitarist Daniel Oreskovic effortlessly massacres the frets of his axe while producing a sound so fragile yet so limitless. His stage persona is a Muppet that transforms into a hubcap flying off a car. It’s bizarre and entertaining and you can’t stop watching. The projection on the wall frames stellar, low end architect Alison Kerjean as she lays the crucial, grinding bass that gels the music together. Cameron Brennan rounds out the trio with his solid percussion skills, often guiding Kerjean’s groove and flaring into an outbreak of accented fills that make the music come to life. The set ends before I even have a chance to unwind and Meniscus are thanked with a volley of cheers and thunderous applause.

A curfew caused the awards ceremony to be cut down in order for the headliner to be able to play a full set. I’d given Melbourne’s ENGINE a quick listen before I came and instantly poo pooed them. Once again my pre judgement proved me to be a total and utter twat. In a day full of charismatic vocalists, Casey Dean stood head and shoulders above them. The music was big, brash, unforgiving and was a less heavy, more party version of Armenian-American metal clowns System Of A Down. Guitarist Jedi Wright was in his own little world while the rest of the band demanded the adoration of everyone present. Aryn Appleberry’s juicy bass and amazingly strong backing vocals were the salsa to Dean’s corn tortillas chips. Dean rummaged through the back stage area mid performance and returned with a pink unicorn head found in a pile of abandoned costumes behind the stage which he wore for the next song in the set. Engine were another band who liberally applied comedy into their routine. This was an incredibly entertaining way to end the night which left me with a warm feeling in my tummy like I had just downed a fresh flagon of mulled wine.

I have never walked out of a music festival that satisfied in my life. Event organiser Angelina Hodgson has gone above and beyond what even the most seasoned of festival promoters are capable of by rounding up a consistently high calibre of musicians into one place. The amount of talent and showmanship I saw today proved that the live music scene is in very capable hands and it is alive and kicking. It is up to us punters to fuel the fire to help make it the raging dragon it was destined to be.  

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support the live music scene.

https://www.facebook.com/TheLocies

https://www.facebook.com/TheSynesthesiaMassive

https://www.facebook.com/engineband

https://www.facebook.com/meniscusband

https://www.facebook.com/SveltMusic

https://www.facebook.com/TealBand

https://www.facebook.com/caligulashorseband

https://www.facebook.com/NeotokyoMusic

https://www.facebook.com/drawband

https://www.facebook.com/blackbreaks

https://www.facebook.com/ageofmenace

https://www.facebook.com/VillageEchoes

https://www.facebook.com/daheebiejeebies

https://www.facebook.com/littlehartmusic

https://www.facebook.com/camraeburnmusic