Check out all the photos HERE
Young Adelaide band Quiet Child started the night with a solid set that lived up to their name. Support act Bushido followed and emphasised once more how strong the Melbourne music scene really is. The punters at the Electric Light Hotel were fortunate to get a look at this strong three piece. Bass player and lead singer, Jaymz Phillips, led the band through an impressive set that built up strongly and showed why this band is earning respect across the country.
But we were here for the hottest ticket in town.
Mammal may not have been around for long, but they have quickly created a buzz for themselves. The black Mammal t-shirts filling the room was evidence that this was more than just a night out for this crowd. There was no stuffing around, no shirking the issue, Zeke and co. fired up and started making and demanding noise.
This band has presence. No mirror ball hat or tiger body paint was necessary for Zeke as he walked on stage tonight, but when these boys appeared, an energy shift took place in the room. Whether you’d heard of Mammal before or not, would’ve been irrelevant. Something special, something metal was happening.
Sounding every bit as tight and professional as they do on their live album, The Aural Underground, Mammal burst into fiery life before our eyes. It took only one song for Zeke, sporting Woverine style lambchops, to end up in the crowd. Like a skinny white Cassius Clay or James Brown, Zeke threw off his bathrobe and climbed near naked on top of the bar, with only his mammal left to our imagination.
This, as yet, albumless band played their rapidly becoming cult anthems coupled with some strong new songs which may reappear soon on their upcoming debut album. With the band entering recording at the end of this week, Australia’s expectations are high. If the energy of their live set can be captured with a studio mix, there is no reason why they can’t take over the world.
These guys are gonna be famous. If their studio album can compete with their awesome live album and set, they should be the metal band Australia’s lacking. A metal band that demands our attention and engages with us in the eloquent political tradition of Midnight Oil and Rage Against The Machine. As this country enters its post-Howard reality and with great changes occurring all around us, there is an opportunity for music to be what it’s supposed to be again. Disillusionment, greed and insecurity remain, but with a Push & Shove and some Think -ing, young people can re-engage and take control of our future. Mammal’s message is important and hopefully they’ll soon have a bigger stage to shout it from.
Check out all the photos HERE
