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  • Gig Review – Bribes Album Launch with Parclo and Symmetrical Dogs

    Gig Review – Bribes Album Launch with Parclo and Symmetrical Dogs

    The Bird, Friday March 13, 2026

    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.

  • Album Review – Bribes: Caught in the Corners (2026)

    Album Review – Bribes: Caught in the Corners (2026)

    Sophomore Effort Delivers

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    Caught in the Corners is the latest offering from Perth band Bribes. The four-piece’s second album is a mature and polished effort, capturing just how far the band have come since their debut.

    Opening strongly with Head, the sound fades in and quickly rises with synth-backed energy that explodes into one of the strongest tracks on the album. Ribcage follows with a nice little bassline hook opening the track, and moody organs keeping things mellow before the track builds up to a stop start chorus with some fine harmonising just a tiny bit reminiscent of a certain 90’s classic involving crash test dummies.

    It is then time for a change in lead vocal duties on Pale Blue Bowl. The acoustic driven track featuring string accompaniment is short and punchy. Joined by Gidge Ridge which features lovely horns and fine guitar work, the tracks pair up nicely, starting slow and building towards a crescendo. Looking forward to seeing if the band adds the strings and horns for the album launch at The Bird (I’ve heard rumours 😉).

    This middle section of the album has some excellent production – great guitar sound in particular from Ange and Aaron. Carnage works nicely with its percussive intro and excellent subdued riff. Undiagnosed goes deep into symbolism in Danyon’s youth, with a clear message many can relate to these days.

    Imbue changes things up with an almost post-rock feel, if it was played at a carnival. It’s a great song to bring things back up. Paired with As a Vice we can call this the quirky section of the album, with the rhythms and arrangements getting a bit further out there than the rest of the album; it’s a nice change up.

    Don’t Let It End could be called the single of the album (there are a few that could meet these criteria to be fair), and is catchy as hell with the pop synth hooks and dancey chorus. We are then hit with the punk rock of Deceased Estate, also laden with plenty of synth hooks behind Ange’s vocals and crazy horn solos.

    Rounding the album out is the fine Spider and the Glass, which has a nineties alt rock feel to it that brings to mind the bands of the late nineties Aussie rock boom. It’s the longest track on the album and worth listening through to the frantic ending, sounds like a song that would translate well live.

    Caught in the Corners is out now, and I strongly suggest not missing the launch at The Bird tonight which promises to be a special one with guest performers and an excellent line up of support acts.