CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM GANGBUSTER’S MADNESS HERE

This week’s Gangbusters @ BAR 32 saw the finest indie and electro acts to grace the Canberra scene in sometime. The Thursday night event featured Perth’s novelty-electro artist Tomas Ford as well as Sydney’s indie trio Dead Kitten Parade. Supporting both these unique interstate acts were two locals; Partybus and Burgerman At The Disco.

Even FL’s own reviewer was involved with the line up [Burgerman.] That said reviewer was given the opportunity to not only experience everything from a live sound check to a mental head check, but most importantly had the ability to easily grasp some ‘band only’ moments from hanging with two of the headlining acts.

As the sounds of Partybus blazed through to the upstairs room, Tomas Ford prepares himself mentally and physically. He lunges, he squats, he even got on all fours. Why is he doing this? That is the question. The other bands watch as he shakes his head left to right in a psychotic manner. “It’s all about being in that mental state before performing,” he goes on, “Usually I just rely on alcohol for that feeling but tonight…” [It seems that Tomas will take the drama workshop approach.]

Dead Kitten Parade’s Johnny (bass) and Robbie (vocals/guitars) together prepare their set list as the band’s resident invisible friend Louis watches over them. Robbie mentioned earlier, that Louis is just there for the moral support and plays a big role in keeping the band together. Not only was Dead Kitten Parade’s invisible friend present but a ‘support group’ (one who insisted to be referred to as the DKP Pussy Cat Dolls) were also there. These kitten followers had travelled all the way to Canberra to see the band play their first tour outside of Sydney.

Tomas Ford came down stairs, dressed in sequins and ridiculously green fluoro pants. The audience had diminished, but even so with a glisten in Tomas’ eyes,“the show must go on”. Turning from a politely odd male, he quite suddenly and erratically changed. As the beats changed also, he thrusted himself all over the audience and over the bar. He pumped out tracks such as Five Times, Loudspeeka – Longspeeka and the very true, Big Night Out In Rockingham about binge drinking. However, quite sadly at its end, it seemed that those people who had popped in to see the psycho–babble that is Tomas Ford had just vanished through the cracks in the wall.

The bar was virtually empty for the last act, however that did not stop those feral cats from DKP doing their thing. The band still played as if to a stadium full of screaming fans which is a quality to admire. Highlights included Candelabra Ricochet, Speech Impediment and Targeted. The weirdest song but surprisingly most interesting of their songs was Soggy Buscuit which you shouldn’t really ask about.

By the end of the night the club had only ten to fifteenish (non-invisible) people remaining. In dismay at the sight of no audience for such a wonderful band the bouncer reassured a fan that “it’s okay”. Being a fan of the band himself he said that it is probably because, “there are too many invisible people inside to actually let any real people back inside.’

DKP close their set, with a delectable funk rock jam, leaving the audience members squealing with sheer delight. They made note of their return in November, one which will no doubt be a bigger and better affair. At the point of pack up time Robbie and Johnny just stood there as if both thinking, “Where are those fucking roadies when you need them?” and “Louis, what kind of an invisible friend are you?”

News Flash: Gangbusters is soon to be every Thursday at Bar 32.