The Bird, Friday March 27, 2026
It is becoming tradition now – Friday nights at The Bird – this time with storm threatening and courtyard soaked. How fitting then, that flood should launch their debut album Like Glass on such a night – like it was meant to be. With support from Ursula and lovemenot.
Opening the night with lower-case love – lovemenot gave us post-rock intensity and got the crowd moving. Big sounds and singalong choruses carried through from start to finish. Eleanor Edwards was full of energy up front and commanded the small stage the moment the band powered up.
On a night filled with a high standard of guitar playing, the riff work from Michael Bourguignon, spiced up with noise throughout, was exceptional. Definitely one of the most creative guitarists around. Add a tight rhythm section and Qayla Locke driving the synth and you’ve got a hell of a rock band. Ending the set with their latest single The Tower was a high point.
Ursula was a perfect fit for the middle slot, shoegazing while bashing heavy rock riffage. The Perth/Boorloo supergroup sludged their way through a powerful set as the venue kept filling up.
The switching guitar and vocal work from Robbie Rumble and Ashby Ranson kept it interesting, with riffs, noise and harmonies big and tight. If the aim was to get the place warmed up, they did that and then some. The sound is somewhere between 90s shoegaze and stoner rock but with hints of post in the busy beats and space-y lead lines. Keep putting out music please.
The deluge did not stop all night and so came the flood (maybe too far with the imagery). Mixing intense math rock rhythms with post-rock catchiness, flood have stepped up their set with impressive new album tracks. Borders and Icarus in Amber stood out early, finding that blend of laid-back melody and heavy angular riffs. Sounding heavier than ever with the energy of the occasion, Jack Williamson and Max Lockitt’s guitars danced around each other with fluid ease while the rhythm section mathed out.
Playing mostly tracks from the new record; the venue was as warm as a fireplace projected on the wall behind the stage. Meandermore was a peak moment as it worked up from clean rhythms to a big finish, going around a few times in the process. Jack Duffy’s hard-rock drumming was on full display and locked in with the outstanding bass work from Benjamin Vaughan. The band finished with a couple of older tracks, because of course the crowd wanted more, and Blue was as solid a finish as you could hope for.
It was a well put together launch by flood – the mix of bands worked, all linked via a post-rock thread, while far enough away from each other to avoid post, shoegaze or math overload. The Perth/Boorloo live scene is alive and kicking and getting stronger with gigs like this right in the middle of the city. More live shows, more albums – more everything.
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