Reviewed onFriday May 27 (photo by Ashley Mar)
For the last date of their WACO Tour, Violent Soho’s performance was less of a show and more of a catch-all celebration of the Australian punk rock revival, which the Mansfield four-piece just happen to be at the centre of.
Kicking off proceedings, Newcastle duo The Gooch Palms followed the time-honoured tradition of two-pieces that perform with the energy of their first live set and the urgency of their last. The pair did well to win over the early attendees with a snappy performance comprised of lean punk anthems delivered with an anachronistic charm and, to their credit, the strongest vocal performance of the evening.
Playing to a near-capacity crowd by time they got onstage, Dune Rats launched into their joyously simple stoner rock without a second’s hesitation. Among the setlist of catchy, driving pop punk songs lay a surprisingly well-executed cover of ‘Blister In The Sun’ that unified the age-diverse crowd through sing-along, even if for a few minutes. Add in some onstage antics, including one lucky fan being invited up onstage to do a shoey, and it was clear to the audience that yes, this Brisbane band alone was worth the price of admission.
Things started to move further from the dumb and fun and more towards the technical with DZ Deathrays. The lights grew darker, as did the energy somewhat, but the masterful punk rock continued to flow forth from centre stage. The only low point in an otherwise impressive set was a stylistically dubious cover choice in Blur’s ‘Song 2’, further worsened by a confused guitar arrangement that fell in and out of key. The trio quickly recovered with a rousing ‘Gina Works At Hearts’, however, and all was forgiven.
Violent Soho took the stage to an ecstatic reception. Even with Luke Boerdam’s declining vocals, the band settled into a groove quickly, carefully balancing the restrained punk anthems and the all-out assaults. This ebb and flow didn’t affect the room’s energy, however, with light fittings and decor shaking amidst the great movement on the floor.
Dune Rats, The Gooch Palms and DZ Deathrays took to the stage once more to take turns jumping into the crowd as Soho delivered an uncompromising ‘Covered In Chrome’ to cap off the night. The 1,600-odd ‘Yeah!’s in the room won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
