Reviewed on Wednesday July 2

What’s the only thing better than live music? Free live music. SOSUEME took over Beach Road for its birthday event with a lineup including some of Australia’s best current talent, and it’s no wonder the place was packed out with Sydney’s youngest, hippest and most questionably attired.

The Delta Riggs kicked things off as lead singer Elliott Hammond showcased his impressive rock-star swagger. ‘America’ was shamelessly attention-grabbing, with Michael Tramonte tearing up the bassline. Simon McConnell was equally impressive on drums, killing a thumping solo that got the crowd moving. Each band member’s talent made for a tight and energetic live show, save for Hammond’s bizarre half-time “true story” featuring Jennifer Lopez. But their latest track, ‘Supersonic Casualties’, showcased The Delta Riggs’ new, hip hop-infused sound – an exciting preview of their forthcoming album Dipz Zebazios. ‘Rah Rah Radio’ was the song of the set; the kind of rock that is made to be played live.

The crowd was more than a little excited when the DMA’s took to the stage. In contrast to The Delta Riggs, they don’t look much like rock stars, sporting baseball caps and plain shirts. But it only took their opener, ‘Feels Like 37’, for Tommy O’Dell’s gritty voice to make it clear that they are rock through and through. Having just come off a national tour that proved they could back up their much-hyped EP onstage, it seems like DMA’s have hit their groove. The three-piece – O’Dell, Matt Mason and Johnny Took – expands to a six-strong live band. None of them are new to performing live, and their experience makes them confident and captivating. New tune ‘Lay Down’ points toward the quality tracks not yet released, but which can be expected on a full-length album. They made the bold decision to play ‘Delete’ second last, and after the crowd was done singing along, they finished off with ‘Play It Out’. But the audience’s favourite was clear.

Touch Sensitive, AKA Michael Di Francesco, delivered a late-night set, managing to expertly loop while shredding bass guitar with nimble finger work. The knee-wobbling ‘Slowments’ set the tone, but the complexity of the tracks meant Di Francesco spent most of the performance looking at his loop station, making interaction with the crowd a little unnatural. But for those happy just to get down, ‘Pizza Guy’ was exactly the level of funkiness required.

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