Review by Jarrod McGrath
You know it’s going to be a great night when the opening act knock your socks off. After two or three songs I was turning to my gig buddies to see if I wasn’t alone in my awe of Flash Anthem. When they both agreed I had to find out more, first being were they Canberran. Given the small crowd at this point, and our enthusiasm, we were able to interact with them mid song and they fortunately indulged us, revealing their local residency. They have this great mix of sounds that’s part 70’s rock but with added melody. So, on top of their great beats they had me singing along to lyrics “can’t trust you anymore” on my first listen, which is a great sign. Can’t wait to check them out again somewhere soon.
Sydney’s The Moving Stills were my main drawcard tonight. Their sweet melodies were even more evident live, especially in Nineteen. When they ended their set without doing latest single Almost There they added to the intrigue I was feeling towards them. There’s definitely something to this band that’s not so typical, despite their classic indie pop sound. Given the great songs they’ve already written in their short recording history, and their tight performance tonight, they are a group to keep an eye on.
Teenage Dads topped the night off perfectly. Their recordings remind me a bit of Surfer Blood, or our own The Creases, but when the singer walked out in his tucked in t-shirt and belted out their tunes from behind his keyboard amid a dimly green lit stage there was a certain Joy Division vibe. They were the danciest act of the night, as a few more people poured into Transit and joined us up front.
What was great tonight was the way there was no real standout band, and they all had a perfect place in the evening. As my old gig buddy who I had brought out for the evening said, “they make Australian music great again” (he hasn’t been out in a while).
