PerthZine

Tag: buffalo club

  • Gig Review – Didion’s Bible EP Launch with New Phono & Botany

    Gig Review – Didion’s Bible EP Launch with New Phono & Botany

    Freo Buffalo Club, Friday May 8, 2026

    Another Friday night of live music in Perth/Boorloo and options aplenty. We were at the Freo Buffalo Club for the Didion’s Bible PS DB EP launch, and it turned into one of those warm, good-vibe local shows that reminds you why the scene is thriving.

    First up, brand new band Botany kicked things off with their first ever gig. It hardly showed, aside from a few mix-ups in the stage banter (the bass player had it covered). With an excellent rhythm section, the three-piece played with confidence and put out a noisy brand of rock. Throwing in a Townes Van Zandt cover for good measure, they powered through a quick set and showed plenty of potential in the racket they are making. Keep an eye out.

    New Phono were next up, and despite being a bit cramped on the small corner stage, they put on a fine show full of intricate little guitar and synth parts, and a very catchy catalogue of songs. Pulled mostly from their album Troubleshoot the Rain, songs like Static are just damn fine examples of Perth/Boorloo songwriting. Symmetry Is Dead is a highlight of both the album and the live show. The chorus is super catchy and sing-along worthy. With band members overheating, the set absolutely cooked (outdone myself with the puns here).

    And then to the band of the evening. Didion’s Bible jumped on stage with instant energy, and even a busted guitar amp didn’t break their rhythm. Kicking off with the songs from the newly launched EP, the band’s frantic new-wave chaos didn’t let up as the party atmosphere swelled.

    Songs like Mona Lisa (Never Let Me Go) got the crowd into the set, and Panorama is a fantastic showcase of what the band can do. With band members at times rolling around on the ground with glee, it’s hard to find a band in the city who exude such infectious joy. It translates well through the music and out into the crowd watching.

    The Buffalo Club was a great choice of venue for the EP launch, giving off old-school, small-stage venue vibes that make for fantastic local band gatherings.

  • EP Review – Didion’s Bible: PS DB EP (2026)

    EP Review – Didion’s Bible: PS DB EP (2026)

    Post-Yours Truly Extras

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    PS DB EP is the latest from Didion’s Bible, and the six piece friendship-rockers continue producing music that is both out there and grounded in post-punk, new-wave and electro-pop goodness. The songs were recorded alongside their album Yours Truly, DB and just had to see the light of day.

    What’s A Name is a quick, catchy ditty that sets the tone nicely. The lyrical tongue-twister uses its pop frontage to address self-perception and identity, with an almost nursery rhyme-like pre-chorus followed by catchy harmonies backing the positive chorus: “no one’s not like you like you.”

    This Heat moves further into the classic Perth sound but slows things down. The song starts with droning synths before relaxing into near-spoken word verses, surrounded by Go-Betweens-esque guitars. The chorus turns a corner into lovely front-and-backing melodies, with lines like “I’m begging for mercy” and “hindsight is a twenty / twenty.”

    Mona Lisa (Never Let Me Go) is another fun-time tune and wouldn’t be out of place on a B-52s record, with shoutouts of “let’s go” and group chants. They used to call this new wave — now we can just call it fun-rock. Should be a good one live.

    Panorama, at 4:36, is the EP’s epic — you can’t spell epic without EP. The drums drive the track along in something that sits somewhere between Talking Heads and Arcade Fire. It builds brilliantly past the halfway point, with the repeated “I am searching for a panorama” becoming the focal point of the rise. Instruments and backing vocals keep joining until the whole thing reaches boiling point — and then we’re there. Nice finish.

    The band manage to balance fun and musicianship well on PS DB EP, creating a very listenable record that goes a bit deeper if you listen carefully.

    Didion’s Bible are launching PS DB EP this Friday, May 8, at The Buffalo Club in Fremantle. Tickets available here.