Horsell Common @ Hi Fi Bar,Melbourne (05/09/2008)

Tue 9th Sep, 2008 in Gig Reviews

With four bands on the line-up, all offering their own unique take on Australian rock, the night was all set for some solid unglamorous grunginess. Unfortunately, some nervous and lacklustre performances from the earlier bands negated the positivity I had for the night and despite Horsell Common provided a convincing display it was not enough to save it.

Ashleigh’s Affair were up first followed by Responder, although the incredibly long sound-check done by Responder took enough time to be classified as an act in itself. Both these bands came across formulaic, with most of their songs following a very predictable and generic pattern. Excluding the actual lyrics, the majority of choruses presented were indistinguishable and there was a clear melodic void. These two bands were not without talent, but more lacking direction and song-writing ability and their nerves denied any chance of putting on a good rock show.

Free State were next, and the confidence of lead singer Drew instantly sparked the surprisingly placid crowd. Free State possesses a sound somewhere between Karnivool and Butterfly Effect and the bands intensity certainly displaced any of the punter’s fears that arriving for the warm-up acts was a mistake. Although again variety of songs was an issue, Free State’s frenetic, heavy sound worked extremely well live. Their last song Necessary was a great number, drawing comparisons with Muse and other great rock bands and was the best example of the band’s potential.

Usually when a headlining act takes the stage, reviews cite the – œelectric atmosphere’, however in this case it was more of a subdued static charge. They opened with You and already their comparative professionalism was apparent. The melodic and hook-laden nature of You showed exactly why their debut album The Rescue is so reputed as – œproperly done’ classic Australian garage rock. Their song-writing abilities also allowed for some of the following slower tracks to remain appealing without being pretentious. However, the atmosphere at the Hi Fi throughout Horsell Common’s set remained restrained and never really reached the raucousness punters have come to expect from an unpretentious rock gig. This could possibly be explained by this particular tour being for the release of their second single, Sing the News, not because it is a poor single but because the album was released in September 2007. Unfortunately support for our home-grown garage rock bands tends to dwindle quickly.

The band clearly recognized the weak vibe and tried to remedy it by playing some of their bigger songs earlier than standard, such as the great track Automation. This worked to a degree with the crowd even joining in for some parts however it was not long before the crowd returned to their lacklustre selves. Regardless of the vibe, Annie, If You’re Listening, Royal Artillery, and their album’s first single Good from Afar were all executed perfectly and proved a convincing display of the band’s ability to reproduce their melodic, rock-infused sound live. Sing the News was smooth live and the angst-ridden, catchy chorus was a highlight of the night. It is easy to see why this was an obvious choice for their second single and the track certainly does them justice.