If you happened to walk into the Transit late on Thursday night and were mistaken for thinking you’d stepped into 1982, you are not alone. The amazing Galvatrons from Melbourne hit Canberra for their When We Were Kids EP tour before it’s released this weekend, which Johnny Galvatron said he’ll give you money if you buy it. They were accompanied by mind-blowing The Scientists of Modern Music from Hobart, and special local guest, courtesy of Cardboard Charlie, Ashley Walsh.

First up from the Sounds of the Underground was something completely different: a “very surreal, very short and very worthwhile” solo set, according to the MC, from local artist Ashley Walsh. Playing mostly originals on her electric piano, she appeared to have a barber-shop a capella setting, ranging from the oddly upbeat tempo of Pussy Whipped to a cover of Alicia Keys’ Impossible. Ashley was well-received by her very supportive audience – picking up more than sixty dollars in donations.

Taking the longest to set up – all the way from Hobart and playing for the first time in Canberra – was The Scientists of Modern Music, an eclectic electronica duo who one punter quite rightly predicted, “will change your life.” These lads have mastered the fine art of performance, right down to costumes. Cal Young dresses all in black and his counterpart Simon McIntosh in white, with the band even incorporating some light choreography – dancing, air-drumming and lip-syncing to the parts they don’t play live to.

At one point they even came out into the crowd and danced along with their group of new-found fans. These fans added a new dimension to the already spectacular mix of hardcore beats, vocoder vocals and kick-arse analogue synth riffs. They sung along to the main riff of Live All Night and even got into the spirit of the loops, adding in their own “Woo!” and the occasional clapping, as well as singing and dancing along to Technology Illiterate.

Whilst the MC for the Sounds of the Underground may have suggested The Galvatrons were “ The Final Countdown over and over,” they’re mindblowing set certainly was not. Kicking things off, after a robotic announcement from the PA, they exploded into their very ‘80s-like space rock, blasting off through the night and tearing a hole in the space-time continuum. Their talent ranges from the time-warp of the title track from the When We Were Kids EP, through some hypnotic instrumental breaks, to the “serious shredding” of Robots Are Cool . After a short break at the end of the set, they submitted to the calls for an encore, despite Pete Condor’s defense (“Thanks, we love you – but we don’t have any more songs”), and played a very well-rehearsed impromptu God Gave Me Everything by Mick Jagger.