four5nine, Saturday, February 28, 2026
The Off Set brought their catchy, melody rich sound to the four5nine bar for the launch of their ultra long titled single The Places She Only Wished That She Could Go. The classic long and narrow venue layout suited the indie lineup nicely.
Kicking things off were The Quixotics playing some lovely jangly tunes. The four-piece made a poppy start to the set before building towards a more rocking, riff based back end. Fronted by Michael Gabriel, the songs were full of nice harmonies, and a particular shout out to the lefty, Hofner playing bass playing Hannah Smillie for excellent pop backing vocals and lead work. Good quality Aussie style indie pop rock.
Time for The Off Set, and with a rotating roster between the three songwriters up front they really showed off a range of styles, all moulding together seamlessly due to the catchy hooks. With each member who took up duties came something different, and no real weaknesses to be completely honest. Dave Wallace’s lead guitar work stood out in the early stages of the set. Zack Yusof’s move from bass to guitar / frontman duties brought a welcome change to the middle of the show. Barry Divola bookended the set with his contributions, including the launched single – a jangly, melodic tune with a great chorus vocal hook (and yes, they managed to create a hook out of the long title, nice work fellas).
It was up to The Mellotrons to close out the night, and they brought a heavier sound to the stage. With plenty of energy and a nice touch of synth, the five-piece played hard and fast while keeping a hold of some good, solid melody-based rock. A nice way to end the night and a great venue for packing in this kind of sound.
Overall, this was a great gig with plenty of catchy hooks flying round to get stuck in one’s head for days to follow. Looking forward to seeing what the next single from The Off Set sounds like, and further releases from them. Also mentioning the night was a benefit for a friend of the bands – props, and all the best to Caitlin.
And one more pic because I took more than just front on wide shots of the band…
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