After a set from Western Australia’s Elora Danan showcasing tracks from their latest album We All Have Secrets the punters didn’t have to wait too long before the lights dimmed again for Sprung Monkey. Ernie Longoria kicked out a thump on the bass drum, Tony Delochot filled the expectant air with the first bass strum to announce the ever-jubilant Steve Summers. At first the bottom floor wasn’t very full, but the stream of fans continued to add their own flavour to the room that was swelling with an audience ready to party. Opening with a slightly irreverent crucifix stance Summers launched into _What’s That You Say lifting the temperature in the crowd. Fanging under a ceiling of bright red, blue and green lights, Sprung Monkey certainly set the flavour for the evening.
The time between Sprung Monkey’s set and Unwritten Law’s was noticeably long and boarder-line frustrating. But finally, with Scott Russo arriving on stage, an invitation was extended to the increasingly rowdy audience, to join in a chorus of Teenage Suicide. Russo played perched on a chair, shirtless and tapping away the catchy melody on a keyboard before casually bringing PK, Steve Morris and Dylan Howard to the stage.
Unwritten Law had us all from start to finish, with the exception of a few minor brawls in the pit, but hey it wouldn’t be rock if there weren’t the occasional passionate punch thrown. Drummer Dylan Howard, the punters in a trance for many of the songs, as he played with such an organic passion. If you aren’t jumping along in time with him, you will find yourself in a hypnotic state, with eyes on his long blonde, curly locks, and head tilted to the side, as if by someway you will be able to drink in more of his talent.
Passion isn’t far from the heart of all the music produced by Unwritten Law, and when it is translated to a live gig, songs like Save Me and Shoulda Known Better, have the entire room echoing choruses of ‘You can’t save me you can’t change me/ well I’m waiting for my wake up call and everything/ everything’s my fault’ and ‘I shoulda known better/ nothing lasts forever’. The mosh pit, which for most of the night looked like an overloaded washing machine, became almost a circle with the pit surfing forcing the security guards working up a sweat – ripping people out of the arms of the audience every few minutes.
Towards the near end of the main set Russo introduced the entire band, providing space and time for each to have a solo spot, at the announcement of every name the audience erupted in fits of excitement made audible by high pitched screams. Russo even honoured Morris on guitar, with such a respect that he fell to the floor on bended knee watching as we all were in utter amazement.
With the depth of their lyrics and their raw passion Unwritten Law never fail to deliver on record, or on stage. They played with instant electricity, as if to spark the crowd into complete music surrender, and hopefully they’ll be back to do it all again very soon.
