Reviewed on Friday March 13

The Dead Love have developed a reputation as a hard-rocking Sydney outfit. Their final shows for a while (they’re off to find the new sound) see an equally reputable rock lineup on show at Brighton Up Bar.

Bonez are definite crowd-pleasers, playing the party-starter shift. Before you can have any doubts about their musical influences they blast a cover of ‘Walk This Way’, and singer Tomi Gray proves that frontmen can be as ridiculous as they want to be, so long as they damn well own it. Escaping the stage to allow the rest of the five-piece some space, Gray trails his hands over various punters, kisses bass player Bernardo Lopes in what is presumably a fit of artistic passion, and catapults off the drums. The band backs him up with black singlets and groovy guitar licks. It’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show meets Road House, and it’s a lot of fun.

She Rex take the stage in a different manner. They’re unapologetic and angry as Nikki Rast delivers acerbic raps over grungy hooks. The group has shifted away from the rap-rock of Rage Against The Machine to create a rawer, grungier sound. Rast screams political dissent over the crashes and the strums of ‘Power’ and incites the crowd to ‘Get Yours’ during the eponymous song. As the band experiments with discordant notes – or the unfortunately quiet vocal harmonies – Tash Adams’ fluid drumming holds everything together. She Rex are definitely a different beast from before, and it’s going to be interesting to see how they evolve.

Once the bar has filled out The Dead Love rush in with a set that’s designed for the people. Riffing off the earlier energy, they shred through tracks that could have been made by a ’90s grunge band that wasn’t Nirvana. Or Mudhoney. Or really any of the good ones. It doesn’t matter, though, because the crowd laps it up and is dancing like crazy. Bass player Clint Ossington charmingly introduces the group and casually strolls up and down his frets for the rest of the set. They switch between a variety of genres popularised during the ’90s, but the point has been made. We’re getting macho, occasionally sensitive rock’n’roll, so it’s time to get on board. It’s furious and easy to digest, and the audience dead set loves it.

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine