This Easter Saturday promised an exciting night, thanks mostly to The Butterfly Effect. Right from the explosive opening set of Amphetame – “putting the chick back into rock,” as Clint Boge put it – it was clear that this gig was going to be a night to rip off your shirt, strap yourself in and feel the Gs.

California-based Dani Raushi and her Australian super-band Amphetame started with a bang. They rocked the ANU Bar so hard with tracks from their debut LP Truth in Lies, the rumbling walls could be heard across half of the campus at the mercy of bass-man Ben Brennan ( Seven ). The best moments of the night were the power of early song Take My Hand blowing out the blinds on the back wall of the bar, and the laid-back but heavy cover of Portishead’s Glory Box. The latter showed off the talent of guest guitarist on loan from Carousel, Ash Jones, and drummer/long-time collaborator of Raushi, Matt – œCrutey’ Crute (of Full Scale fame). However, the only let down from Amphetame’s support was their poor mixing, sending out a bit too much feedback. However, Dani’s amazing voice, dancing and showmanship covered most of the technical and instrumental glitches. Also, it was a shame that Clint Boge from The Butterfly Effect didn’t come out for the guest vocals on Glass Ride.

Next, charismatic vocalist Ezekiel Ox of Mammal took hold of the crowd for a mind-blowing set of old-school frontmanship and pure rock – œn roll. The crowd favourites upped the tempo with plenty of old favourites for their many fans. It was a set full of audience participation, with the crowd almost eating out of his hand by their first new song of the night Space and Time half way through. From then on it was shirtless, stage-diving mayhem, with Ox going out into the crowd several times, much to the distress of the security staff. The last of these dives had the crowd moving with such intensity that even this reviewer was caught into his dancing circle, only to be knocked back out 30 seconds later into an unsuspecting punter. The set finished up with a three-minute drum solo from Zane Rosanoski, into the last new song Hell Yeah, carried by Pete Williamson’s outstanding solo behind his head. These antics were so impressionable that touring buddies Glenn and Ben from Butterfly Effect were rocking out backstage for the second half of the performance.

Finally, the lights went out, the crowd cheered and the sound of the A-Team opening theme blasted out of the speakers, as the boys from The Butterfly Effect came on stage. They played an amazing, slightly extended set that was so enjoyable many didn’t mind there were no encores. In amongst some old favourites like A Slow Descent and Take it Away, they thumped out with great passion many of their new songs from Imago, like The Hidden. Some songs got the crowd into a “sing-and-dance-along” incited by Boge during Reach and Aisles of White. Despite the trend of the night’s lead singers showing some skin (with Dani’s midriff-revealing jacket and ripped jeans, and Ezekiel’s mostly shirtless set) Clint managed to keep his sweaty yellow Beatles t-shirt on throughout the entire set. Perhaps Saturday’s chilly weather was too cold for the Brisbane rocker. He did keep in the trend of Portishead covers, though, with Kurt Goedhart changing the pace for Roads.

For those who stayed in Canberra over the Easter weekend, this was the most rocked-out gig the city has seen since Regurgitator last year.