Check out the photos from this awesome gig here
Violent Soho have spent the last two years playing bridesmaid, hardly ever headlining a show for themselves. Saturday night saw them launch their debut album We Don’t Belong Here at the Troubadour, and it was a smashingly good night.
Any night which sees Violent Soho headline needs an explosive start, and The Side Effects are well and truly up to the task tonight. Frontman Dan Baebler and bassist Tony Giacca are both members of Sixfthick, and they bring that groups dirty, dirty rock stylings to this three piece. Backing them on the drums is the amazing CJ, whose stick work is sometimes almost a blur. Baebler has the raucous vocals down pat, and does some exceptional guitar work, especially on Coming Down. They close out with single The Day My Hair Turned White, and the crowd, which began the set drifting around the bar, but has gathered at front-of-stage, gives them a roar of approval.
Reptiles are from Melbourne, but are joining Violent Soho for all three shows of the album launch tour. Fresh off the rock of Side Effects and anticipating a Soho special, the crowd is eager to hear from these youngsters, but tonight’s grime punk performance doesn’t quite gel. All of the songs are performed at the same breakneck speed, and although there’s lots of chaotic riffs, courtesy of guitarist Joel and frontman Em, they seem to be thrown together at random. Single Haunted House packs a punch, but by the end of the set, some of the crowd is drifting back towards the bar.
You don’t see moshpits in the Troubadour very often, which makes the one which breaks out as Violent Soho rip into the opening riff of Son Of Sam all the more frenetic. Violent Soho play straight-out-of-1992 grunge, with no shame about the artists they draw on for influence, and the crowd loves it too. Bombs Over Broadway is a little blurred, but Jesus Stole My Girlfriend is spectacular. Lead single Love Is A Heavy Word has been getting high rotation on Triple J, and gets a big crowd cheer. Guitarists Luke Boerdam and James Tidswell are doing their usual fine work putting together riffs which are grungey, but still controlled enough to keep the songs together, and bassist Luke Henery moshes to himself as usual. The beats are reverbating off the low roof, and the floor is shaking as the tightly packed-in crowd thrashes about at the front of the stage.
It might be a headlining spot, but with their songs being sped up for the live arena, tonight’s set promises to be a short one. Still, Boerdam is struggling – “F***en hell, I can’t even get through a 40 minute set” he says, laughing. Of course, with the amount of energy they put into their performance, it’s no surprise they’re tired by the end. Generation is one of their older and better songs, and the end is awesome, as the riffs and drums stop on a dime. Muscle Junkie even sees a few audience members jump up to stage dive, although the crowds not really packed in tight enough to crowd surf them, and everyone crashes to the ground. At the end of the song Henery decides to show us how it’s done, and launches himself into the crowd with gusto. Of course, noone saw it coming, so its just more chaos on the ground.
By this stage, the Soho have pretty much run out songs, but return for a special encore – a cover of God ’s My Pal. Tonight’s been one of the best shows Soho have ever put on, and the sweaty and satisfied crowd heads out into the night.
