PerthZine

Tag: rosemount

  • Gig Review – The Shakeys + Zerodent + False Cobra + Bobby Burgess (The Barstools)

    Gig Review – The Shakeys + Zerodent + False Cobra + Bobby Burgess (The Barstools)

    Four5Nine, Saturday June 6, 2026

    The Shakeys took over the Rosemount Four5Nine bar for a night of punk rock mayhem. It’s been a while since we’ve seen them, but it didn’t show as the seasoned outfit returned as if they’d never been away.

    First up, The Barstools‘ Bobby Burgess took the stage solo on the acoustic, and he made that thing wail. The band are fast-paced and heavy blues-rock, so naturally Burgess played with plenty of gusto. It worked nicely for the opening slot – both stripping back the songs and showing off the songwriting, without sacrificing the energy needed for the heavy night ahead.

    Up next were False Cobra, the first full band to get things rocking. Interesting fact – the band name is not a random word generator, it’s a type of snake that does cobra-like things, but ain’t a cobra. Anyway, fun fact over with, let’s get to the band. Moving into the punk realm, the drummer-fronted (or perhaps drummer-backed?) band played a hard, fast set full of restless energy. That’s not an easy thing to do on the tiny Four5Nine stage. With generally short, punk-like songs, and a bit of AC/DC vibes coming from the guitars, they got the crowd bouncing and ready for some sweat. Shirts came off.

    Zerodent followed as the penultimate act of the night. The power-trio mixes old-school, hardcore punk with melodic guitar lines, the distinct licks more legible with less distortion. All this while the bass and drums power along, giving us what is essentially a tour through punk-rock – from 70s punk to hardcore 80s sounds, with even a hint of post-punk. They were a polished presence and suited the tight room perfectly. And no messing around here – short songs and get on with it.

    Onto the hosts of the evening. The Shakeys are part of the Perth/Boorloo music fabric, and it shows from the moment the rock n roll-tinged punks hit the stage. In the now packed room, they brought the energy and the crowd reciprocated. They played a balanced mix of material from their catalogue, which varies from straight up 70s-style punk to more dynamic hard rock.

    Straight Mollin was a fine way to kick the crowd into gear, the guitar work a fine example of what Jason Mirosevich is capable of. Talk So Tough showed off more of the band’s groove and dynamics, and was a highlight of the set with the room really going by this point, while drummer Lauren was tight as can be. The classic punk tunes are pure fun, a perfect example being set closer Drinkin’ Till Dawn, with backing vocals taking it to another level.

    Once again Four5Nine proves itself a fine, narrow little venue that gets cooking pretty quickly when the bands do their thing. And once again this zine has nothing to offer but front-on shots of the band, and it was even harder with no room to move the closer you got to the stage. Luckily the band gave me some shots to include from someone brave enough to get right into the action.

    Thanks Twin Pixel for the excellent pics.

  • Gig Review – Katy Steele with Anna Schneider

    Gig Review – Katy Steele with Anna Schneider

    Rosemount Hotel, Friday May 29, 2026

    It’s good to see Katy Steele is still at it. After a mix of solo tours and Little Birdy shows, she’s at the Rosemount launching her latest album, Undressed. Her reputation as one of the great front-persons out of this isolated city precedes her, and she did nothing to quell this in front of a packed house.

    Anna Schneider opened the evening, and her choice to start with an a cappella version of the Elvis classic Crying in the Chapel really showed off her strong voice. It’s a clear indication you are watching something special when the crowd goes quiet. With just her and an acoustic guitar, she entertained with love songs about share houses and overgrown weeds; both musically interesting and relatable lyrically.

    She then moved to love songs one assumes are directed at people, with kisses into the microphone a nice touch. Sun was a highlight of the set – Schneider transcending with her vocal melodies, before reminding us to not miss the catchy guitar riffs. You could feel the hushed crowd were along for the ride; it’s the reason we go out and see live music. Singing songs from her upcoming album, and ending with Favourite Colour, inspired by the colour palette of clothing on a hills hoist (in the share house, one assumes), it was a lovely warm-up to the main event.

    Katy Steele took to the stage with the venue filling to capacity and the atmosphere building, the crowd eager to see what songs would be included in the latest performance. The noisy chatter went quiet as she took to the stage; her appeal still strong after twenty-odd years at it.

    After an honest admission of nervous excitement and a few goes getting started, she locked into Signal to You and shed any doubts about her abilities. From there Steele’s powerful voice and knack for melodies kept the audience engaged and happy. A particular highlight came when she played the Little Birdy classic Beautiful to Me, with a lovely harmony from the accompanying keys complementing her vocals.

    Rescue Boat followed – it must be close to the best of her solo material. She then powered through a mix of Little Birdy, solo, and cover songs. From Hit Me Baby One More Time to Perfect Day and Michael Jackson’s Ben, it was an interesting mix which showed off her range and influences. The occasional shaky start only reinforced the honesty of the performance, Katy happy to take another run at a song until it felt right. There is no better reminder of what she’s capable of than Relapse, still one of the finest songs in the Little Birdy catalogue.

    It was an evening of both nostalgia and new music, with Anna Schneider a great choice for support to showcase that this city still has plenty to offer. The reception throughout the night made one thing clear: Perth/Boorloo’s affection for Katy Steele has not faded.

  • Gig Review – The Off Set Single Launch with The Mellotrons and The Quixotics

    Gig Review – The Off Set Single Launch with The Mellotrons and The Quixotics

    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…