Gangbusters: The Trivs, TheFights, Rounds, and ...likeFoxes @ Bar 32, Canberra(20/11/08)

Fri 21st Nov, 2008 in Gig Reviews

CHECK OUT THE LAST GANGBUSTERS HERE!

It seems like only a few weeks ago we were celebrating the first birthday of Gangbusters in fact, it was. Alas, all too soon, the regular run of Gangbusters has come to an end. Consigned to irregular one-off gigs, it was up to The Trivs, along with The Fights, Rounds, and …like Foxes, to send off Gangbusters with one last epic hurrah.

The entrée for this last supper was …like Foxes. Coming on early at about 9pm, the bar had a sizeable crowd that was quite into the melodies and shoegaze-indie that …like Foxes play. With lead singer/guitarist Luke’s vocals sitting low in the mix, there were elements of shoegaze demi-God’s My Bloody Valentine, only with a more Ian Curtis-esque baritone style. None of the gloom of Joy Division though. Not at all. Held together by the frantic, motion blurred rhythm section, the melange of influences that …like Foxes are tapping into turns them into one of the more technical, and definitely one of the more different, bands fronting the local indie scene. Get into it people.

Next up were Rounds, who seem to have brought a general change to the crowd. Without losing numbers, the crowd switched from the ex-punk/indie scene to a more mainstream audience. A definite change in music followed suit, with Rounds sounding more towards a rampant pub singalong, but not for your local pub. More so for that cool pub your friends go to, and there’s that old guy who swears at the jukebox even when it’s not playing. You know the one. Nevertheless, the people dug them, and that’s what matters, right?

*The Fight*s came on afterwards and brought with them a toe-tapping beat that certainly sparked the audience. Suddenly some people were moving their bodies. It was like a 5 am evangelical program, what with all the re-animation going on. Sure, the music wasn’t exactly the most original and groundbreaking, but did anyone care? Hell no they didn’t! The party atmosphere was alive and well, but it hadn’t quite hit its stride just yet…

For that, the party needed a Trivs injection! All the body moving quickly led to body shaking and body jumping around. Without a doubt, The Trivs have quickly become Canberra’s go-to band for fun times, with their absurdly catchy tunes and enigmatic stage presence allowing them to turn any gig into a party. I’ve seen them a few times now, and even when they were playing to ten people, those ten people are dancing. It will be interesting to see what is in the future for these boys, as you get the impression it could only be a matter of time until you hear the hipsters saying “I remember seeing The Trivs and, like, ten people were there. You totally missed out. I met Byron once.”

It was the perfect way to send off Gangbusters: People dancing, people enjoying themselves, and everyone crammed into the bar. It’s a shame that it won’t be the same, but with change comes new possibilities, and the excitement that comes with that.