It’s the day after Soundwave and you can literally smell it on those that were there to experience it all. A lot of us should be in bed, or at the very least at home, resting up and licking our mosh wounds. But do we heed? Hell to the no – there’s Sidewave action to be had.

Whilst there were the options of comedy kings The Bloodhound Gang or your favourite band in year eight, Alkaline Trio, a much more intimate option was to be had in humble old Campbelltown at the City Hotel. Four of the smaller yet superior acts upon Soundwave’s bill grouped together for an up close and personal kind of gig that was rare for us Aussie fans to experience. And what a treat we were in store for.

Former Blood Brothers Johnny Witney and Cody Votolato jumped on stage first, performing as a part of their new band Jaguar Love. Without drummer Jay Clark, we were treated to quite a different kind of show than was expected from the band. A sequencer/drum machine filled in the missing pieces, giving the tracks that were played from the band’s debut Take Me to the Sea a total reworking in a bizarre hybrid of electroclash and post-hardcore. An inspired Minor Threat cover ( Small Mind, Big Mouth ) also reared its head near the end, which was scarily brilliant.

Johnny’s stage presence was a thing of greatness, flailing his limbs across the confined space and dancing with Jagger-esque pouts and stances thrown in for good measure. Whilst their set certainly raised a few eyebrows and bemused a couple of people in the crowd, those that were feeling the – œLove gave it all right back to them. An excellent kick-off to the evening; with the NIN support slot in tow as well it truly seems the band is on a roll.

From ferocious energy and drum machines to low-key and full band, indie rockers Straylight Run were up next. Their set certainly lacked a lot of liveliness in comparison to what had just occurred. Even still, the trio faithfully worked through a selection of their better known songs, as well as showcasing numbers from a new EP that was on sale that very night. Vocalist John Nolan impressively handled both lead guitar and keyboard duties throughout the set, atop of his charming and impassioned lyrical delivery, whilst the rhythm section proved a tightness that is necessary to keep three-pieces afloat. Their set finished with an intense, beautiful rendition of the track Hands in the Sky that more or less completely blew the crowd away. This was proof enough that, despite a few lower points in their set, Straylight were the genuine article. Well worth a look into.

“There are two things that HORSE the band loves,” announced frontman Nathan Winneke to the packed in attendees. “Science…”- extended pause – “…and PUSSY!” This is just one of the many examples of some of the side-splittingly hilarious banter that came from Winneke’s ever-so-slightly-intoxicated mouth, along with curly-haired keyboardist/sampler Erik Ergeson. The terrible twosome gave each other hell all through their set, not to mention their bassist, various punters and the lucky few that got to see Nathan expose himself halfway through. It truly was a sight to see, and definitely made the Bloodhound Gang look weak in terms of comedy in comparison.

Oh yeah, and the music was bloody excellent, too – freakishly warped synth-driven hardcore. Think At the Drive-In at their heaviest with Game Boys in their pockets. They stood out like the proverbial dog’s bollocks on this line-up and you couldn’t have found a band more proud of that fact than HORSE the band. “This is the funnest show we’ve ever played in Australia,” gargled Erik from behind his keys. Glad to be a part of it, dudes.

The band we were all here to see set up and plugged in, only to find that whatever success they’d had at soundcheck had miraculously disappeared. Vocalist/guitarist Jake Snider looked defeated and frustrated, but the band weren’t about to let that stop them. “Let’s just fucking play,” he says to the band. The crowd roars in response to this idea, and the set kicks off with Planet of Ice cut Dr. L’ling. From there, the crowd was treated to a series of tracks from across the band’s three-album and multiple-EP discography. Some new material from the band’s fourth-coming (geddit?) record was also given a road test to some fairly positive response.

Watching these five musicians at work in such close range was a truly remarkable thing. Jake and guitarist Dave Knudson’s army of pedals and loops at their feet were jaw-dropping enough on their own, but watching just what was created with them was something else entirely. Atop of their blatant musicality, the singalong quality was top notch – particularly for tracks from the band’s first record, Highly Refined Pirates – and all five of the band members seemed truly appreciative that so many had come to check them all out. Despite playing a “two-star hotel” (fans will get this reference) and not getting the sound quality they so deserved, Minus the Bear gave it their all and put on a wonderful show.

On one final note, credit must go to all four bands for not only playing such a small venue, but completely lacking any kind of pretension or grandeur as musicians. Each band did their own soundcheck, hung out with the crowd, engaged in conversation and posed for photos as completely polite and down-to-earth people. This is truly something that you just don’t see that much in international touring acts anymore, and respect is 110% due to all involved. Thanks for a great night – hope to see each of you back on our shores sometime real soon. We’ll be waiting.