Sascha and the band balance understatement with intensity — an interesting juxtaposition that works well with Ion’s vocal stylings and the general vibe of the band. The main chorus hook is catchy and memorable, built around the line “bring me light / bring me thunder / all day long.” There’s a slight scowl in the delivery that gives her voice a real edge. Special mention to bassist Liam Coffey for some excellent lines that wrap around the guitar work.
The trio have found a nice groove pocket, and this is another example of the blues-influenced alt-rock that hits the spot.
Sascha Ion and The Elements launch Cross Your Bones (Bring Me Thunder) this Saturday arvo (May 2) at The Bird. Get down early.
Back to The Bird on a Friday night — a dangerous place to be if you’re trying to drink less. Leah Grant hosted the night and, once again, the venue was full of love from eager punters and bands alike. What a great time to be part of the Perth/Boorloo scene.
Swan Drafts opened the evening with a delicate acoustic set while the audience sat picnic-like on the floor in front of the stage. The guitar work from Shawn Cygnus is special — someone worth keeping an eye on as the music develops. Gatorade Bong is both an inspired name and a very good song.
Goodbye Forever followed and showed that two people can make a hell of a racket. Their guitar, bass, synth and looper setup was engaging, delivering a set that was somehow both casual and intense. Isn’t it great when you go to a gig for one band and another completely captures your attention? Keep an eye out for these guys, highly recommended for something a little different.
Time for the first full band of the night with Jackson Christie taking the stage. The harmony-heavy three-piece play a poppy brand of indie that is hard to pinpoint. Bright, catchy guitar-driven verses that mutate into big choruses, driven by the fine vocal work of the frontman and co.
Symmetrical Dogs took to the stage next and showed us exactly how to do it. Somehow managing punk rock energy with just an acoustic guitar, Michael Woodbridge is one of those musicians you can watch but never quite understand. Maybe the word is sublime — it goes beyond normal comprehension. Combine that with intricate drumming and the charismatic Claire up front, and you have something pretty special. Can’t wait to see what this young group does next.
Main event now. Leah Grant is a treasure to the Perth/Boorloo music scene, and the appreciation in the room made that clear. Backed by a full band and a nicely decorated stage, she showed off the depth and quality of her songwriting.
Grant’s sound is big — post-rock, with folk at its core — built on excellent guitar work and vocals that reach the stratosphere in the biggest moments. It’s a striking contrast to her seemingly quiet demeanour. Is there anything better than someone who transcends when they step on stage?
Her band rose to the occasion, elevating the songs with fine noise-making guitar and big, dynamic moments throughout. The set moved between intimate lyrics (“I give it all up”) and head-shaking heaviness — a combination that sounded fantastic in the room.
Leah Grant has released EPs Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, and after seeing her live for the first time, we’re ready for Vol. 3.
Friday night at The Bird once again delivered a great night of bands and fans, this time it was Bribes launching their excellent second album Caught in the Corners, with support from Symmetrical Dogs and Parclo.
First up Symmetrical Dogs with a very enthusiastic crowd relishing the banter from frontwoman Claire Stanwix and the band. Stanwix is one of those rare performers who ooze charisma and confidence, seemingly without trying. Pair this with some great guitar work on the acoustic from Michael Wooldridge and Boyd Jarvis’ tight drum work, and you can see immediately why they have established such a solid fanbase. The set was short and sweet and effective in warming up the packed house.
Parclo arrived on stage next, bringing post-rock vibes with a bit of that wonderful genre of shoegaze. Zoe Koong front and centre on bass and vocals was a revelation, showing plenty of power from such a small package. Sharing lead vocal duties while blasting out synth, Izzy French stood in stark contrast to Koong, but it worked well alongside the tight, high-quality playing from the rest of the group. Some moments went to the stratosphere with shoegazing jam-out goodness, and by now the venue was well and truly full, and ready for the headline act.
And so came Bribes, who pulled out all the stops for the launch of their latest record. The atmosphere was warm, the crowd were packed to the rafters (I don’t like to use the term literally but given the side benches and low ceilings in the place, there were literally people up to the rafters), and the band were keen to show off their hard work.
Playing the album through (a nice touch), Head was the obvious choice for opener anyway, and it made for a big start. The crowd were onboard and on for the ride, which was extra special with guests joining in to play the string and wind instrument sections live. If the lovely violin on Pale Blue Bowl was not enough, by Gidge Ridge things had escalated with flute accompanying the strings. Ange’s voice has a fragility to it that came across really nicely with the backing.
The bands experience came through with all members playing tight and clearly enjoying themselves up there. One of the best guitar parts, that riff in Carnage ringing through the venue was a real high point. Danyon, on synth and vocals, had plenty of great moments – Don’t Let It End being one in particular where the catchy synth shines through. We even got a bonus track for the encore, with the band going back to BBB, one of their first tracks released, and a great choice to reward the crowd’s enthusiastic response.
So once again, Friday night at The Bird delivered, and reminded everyone there that the Perth/Boorloo scene is thriving. Let’s hope these bands can continue growing and putting out material of this calibre, and nothing beats the challenge of backing it up live.
You can’t beat live music at The Bird on a Friday night. Thank you team Bird for keeping this venue in the heart of the city going strong.
Launching their single Sink In, Lake Mammoth hosted a wonderful night of psych / post / bluesy rock (to name a few genres floating around), perfect for the Friday the 13th setting.
Kicking things off to a busy and enthusiastic room, Brides of Science brought the post punk sound with plenty of synth for everyone. For a debut gig the band were tight and confident, with Niki quite the presence up front. The dual synth setup works great and is complimented nicely by some serious guitaring. I say complimented but really, it’s making an already pumping sound distort and pump harder. If this is their first show, one can assume this is only going to get better.
Next up came some serious dirty, bluesy psych rock from Sascha Ion and the Elements. The power trio hit hard mixing jangly riff-laden tunes like Enigma, with heavier, groove driven stompers like set closer TheGroove (don’t mock me for describing a song called The Groove with the word groove, and now I have said groove way too many times, great journalism). Excellent guitar work, a solid rhythm section, and Ion’s vocals slink and curl around the music perfectly. When is the next show? I’ll be there.
With the crowd happy and having a blast, it was time for Lake Mammoth, and the band delivered some great soul influenced psych. They jammed through a stellar set consisting of plenty of reverby surf guitar, pulsating synth, and a solid rhythm section including Andrew S on the congas – nice to see an instrument you don’t see every day, being played well and genuinely enhancing the songs. The launched-single, Sink In, was a highlight, demonstrating the tightness and cool groove the band have clearly been developing for a while. Listen to the recording, highly recommended.
Overall a great night in probably the best venue in Perth for seeing original music.
Note to self: do not accept any offers of tequila shots when attempting to review a gig.
