Reviewed on Friday November 21
As the Bad Bitch Choir file onto the stage they hum the melody to Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back To Black’, starting the night with soul. Originally the backup singers for Twincest, this group has evolved into a collaborative project where artists from a variety of backgrounds cover their favourite songs. The passion of the choir brings new life to classic hits by the likes of TLC, Arctic Monkeys and Salt-N-Pepa.
The next band, Dividers, blister through their opening salvo of songs, as drummer Mitch Johnson beautifully segues between tracks with a level of control that belies the Christmas party he’s been drinking at all day. Incorporating elements of hardcore, metal and rock into their music, they possess an easy charm, as suitable at the pub as it is onstage. Frontman/guitarist Koby Geddes effortlessly flirts with the Bad Bitch Choir before launching into another tune. Paul Anderson on bass matches Geddes’ enthusiasm in the title track from their latest EP, A Long Winter, stomping around the stage like a kid in a playground as they bring their set to a close.
By the time The Stiffys walk onto the stage the crowd has packed the front half of the Factory Floor. Slogans scribbled across handmade posters encourage the onlookers to “Have a great time!”, a sentiment the band reminds us of loudly the minute lead singer/bassist Jason Leigh and drummer Adam Stagg get to their microphones. The two-piece outfit from Melbourne deliver a high-octane message of positivity in their songs, and it pays off as the fans throw themselves with vigour into the bouncing rhythm of Leigh’s bassline.
Clad in jumpsuits and crash helmets, The Stiffys sing about space blogs, cocoa puffs and how all the ladies love to say ‘hi’ to them. The crowd eats it up, enthusiastically screaming back when Leigh initiates a call-and-response. “Wombat,” yells Leigh. “Stiffys!” yells the audience. It’s silly stuff that makes for excellent banter.
Lampooning the stereotypes of rock icons, the duo creates hyper-virile personas obsessed with girls and enjoying themselves. Fortunately they never lapse into male chauvinism and kick off their encore with a parody of Redfoo’s ‘Literally I Can’t’ – “We respect girls / We know heaps of girls!”– before their finale with a frenetic rendition of ‘I’m Really Good At Sex Because I’m Always Doing It’.
