Seeing The Drones live is something everyone should do at least once. They are truly one of Australia’s greatest rock bands.
Having been blown away by their last Sydney shows only a couple of months ago, tonight was set to be a night to remember, especially since the deal was sweetened somewhat with the inclusion of The Holy Soul and Bridezilla on the bill.

As the crowd gradually swelled and my companion and I settled in with a few cleansing ales, The Holy Soul burst onto the stage with the night’s first offering to the rock Gods.

A blistering, – œballs to the wall’ blues-infused onslaught was to follow. Taking inspiration from punk, country, blues and rock, these guys proved they had definitely earned their place as one of the more original local bands of late.

The Holy Soul have thankfully avoided the “I can play three chords so I formed a band to get chicks” mentality that has infected many of Sydney’s recent up-and-comers. It’s great to hear a raw, honest and genuinely talented rock band that has decided to steer clear of the jangly 80s revival that many others have succumb to.

Although clearly displaying some obvious influences, The Holy Soul have amalgamated a range of genres to create a refreshing and unique take on the swamp rock sound.
Highlights such as the energetic – œSign Of The Triangle’ and the brooding – œI Burnt Your Clothes’ had the punters swaggering with delight and set the scene for a great night of rock to come.

Bridezilla took to the sticky, beer-soaked Annandale stage next as the now packed room warmly welcomed them.

Having not been overly excited by my brief exposure to these guys recently at Homebake, I was not sure what to expect but decided that if the buzz around the Annandale was any indication, I should lose my preconceptions and give the over-achieving youngsters another chance.

How wrong my first impressions were… from the moment the first chord was played, I was propelled into a Bridezilla-induced trance. Wide-eyed and open-mouthed, I was utterly captivated by the beautiful noise emanating from the stage. At the end of the set I finally came to, gasping for air and clutching at the memories of lead singer Holiday Sidewinder’s hauntingly gorgeous, raspy vocals swirling around my head like a dream I won’t let myself forget.

The brilliant five-piece are wise beyond their years and make mature, sophisticated music that the most seasoned of rock stars would be proud of. Millie Hall’s sax work and Daisy Tulley’s violin acrobats add depth and class to their sound while their professional and energetic stage presence ensure that Bridezilla are fast becoming one of Sydney’s great live bands.

I felt used and abused by Bridezilla , and loved every second of it. As if my consciousness and free will was stolen from me for the duration of their set, I was now the helplessly weak prey of the Bridezilla beast. I was chewed up, taken on a beautifully frantic journey and spat out again only to be left salivating and wanting more.

By the time The Drones stepped up to the plate I had recovered and cleared my mind for impressive show to come.

Having ticked off the formalities early on by thanking the crowd for choosing their gig over the coinciding Brian Wilson gig (and even calling Brian Wilson “old and weird”) it was down to business for the Melbourne-based four-piece.

Front man, Gareth Liddiard was all class as he led the flawless set from dark depths to energetic, bluesy distortion to harmonica-accompanied acoustic intimacy, all the time with an emotive and commanding swagger.

Rock – œn’ roll perfection is a phrase that springs to mind as I recall the growls, howls and face-melting riffs in obvious crowd favourites – œSharkfin Blues’ and – œI Don’t Ever Want To Change’. Despite the omission of – œLocust’, their set seamlessly flowed from one perfectly crafted slice of bad arse rock to next.

Gareth’s easily recognizable voice resonated around the room while Fiona, Dan and Michael provided the undulating soundtrack that kept the crowd dead silent and attentive at times and screaming and playing air-guitar at others. Such an array of moods could only be fashioned with such precision by band with as much talent and integrity as The Drones.

In the wise words of one of the Annandale’s bar staff, “No one screams like Gareth does”. I couldn’t agree more; Mr Liddiard belted out the first song like it was his last and didn’t let up all night.
A truly great Ozzie band.