Do you really know what dedication means? I mean really know? What it stands for? What it’s all about? Don’t go look it up in the dictionary buddy, because I can tell you right now that it won’t have the real answer there.

You can’t tell me? You’ve given up? Well then, I’ll let you in on a little secret…

I saw the physical embodiment of dedication on stage at the Toff in Town. They’re five young teenage boys, from the band Howl. The guys convinced their parents to drive all the way from Ballarat to Melbourne just so they could support Ben Birchall and the Corrections, and they cooked up rock and roll in an oven on stage and served it on giant platters of awesomeness to a hungry Melbourne public who hadn’t witnessed something this youthfully audacious in years.

I don’t know what you were like during those mid-teen years, but I remember awkwardness, bad fashion sense and worse punk covers in parents’ garages. Howl are none of those things. In fact they probably eat those things for breakfast on top of their toast. Instead they all sport big, long, tangly hairstyles, tight jeans, suits and they play a vicious off-beat sound from a grab-bag of musical styles. The best way to describe their sound is that they’ve gone back in time and ransacked the best musical trends of every decade. Howl manage to combine a 60s skiffle beat, 80s synth, epic blues guitar leads and pure confidence in a heady on stage mix. To the point that at the end of their last song, one guitarist dropped his guitar and set up another drumkit (mid song!) and proceeded to engage in a drum battle with their regular drummer while their toothy, dreadlocked lead singer, danced in his own world in front of the stage. Teenagers from Ballarat (or Melbourne for that matter) don’t do these things. Stadium rock bands do and apparently, so do Howl. Do yourself a favour and go see them, before they take over the world or something.

In stark contrast to this display of brash musical virtuosity was The Hello Morning’s set. If Howl were young, fresh and shocking, watching The Hello Morning felt like drinking a tepid cup of tea. Bland and ultimately unsatisfying. In fact the difference was so stark that I needed to rest on one of the Toff in Town’s strangely padded walls for a few songs. Apart from an amazing keyboardist who had more passion than Casanova on heat and was the only band member who had the guts and testicular fortitude to pull off a half decent lick, the rest of the band were more suited to a quiet Sunday on a balcony rather than stuck on a bill between Howl and Ben Birchall and the Corrections. Their much touted live act came off as incredibly AOR and not at all satisfying.

But before you could cry out ‘Disappointing set The Hello Mornings!’, Ben Birchall and the Corrections hit the stage, shiny shoes and all. Ben Birchall (ex-*Klinger*) is a songwriting dynamo and it was a credit to his band that they were able to hold their own with such a consummate performer. The band kicked off with All Fun and it suddenly felt like the mid-90s again. If you found a large human sized blender, threw in liberal amounts of Screamfeeder, Jebediah, Klinger, You am I, The Lucksmiths, plus a hefty dose of blues and turned it on, you’d have something close to the Corrections’ sound (or a major bloodbath on your hands). It was all major key riffs, harmonies, ooohs and ahhs and most importantly, smiles. Ben Birchall looked stoked to be making his triumphant return to the stage and his enthusiasm infected the room like a deadly and highly contagious disease.

Ben dropped an awesome batch of new songs with Surprise, Fishbowl and I’m Still Falling particular highlights and he proved that he still retains the skilful pop song mastery of his earlier years. The crowd was treated to Bruce Springsteen references (and dancing), solo cowbell performances involving enthusiastic audience participation and musicians with chops beyond belief. Hammond organ solos, tight drums, top-heavy bass, impressive moustaches – The Corrections had it all, and as always Ben provided incredibly witty stage banter. The night ended with a group sing along of Last Ditch Brigade and Ben Birchall and The Corrections left the stage to cheers.

And cheers also to Clean Young Mess at the Toff, for providing a stellar bill which foresaw the future of Australian music as well as ushered in the return of a talented front man, songwriter and gentleman from the not so distant past.