Havoc III @ The Basement,Canberra (04/04/09)

Wed 8th Apr, 2009 in Gig Reviews

Punk and Ska fans were treated to a wide selection of music from Sydney, Woolongong and Canberra as bands and artists converged on Canberra for the Havoc Festival at the Basement.

Kicking off the show were newbies on the scene and Canberra locals Hoodlum Shouts and Pirate Satellite along with Sydney outfit Ebolagoldfish who treated us to a melodic punk rock, ska-infused performance.

Paul Demos helped to pass the time during intermission, entertaining the crowd with some great acoustic covers including a 20 minute interpretation of the chorus of The Gambler. It’s not quite known whether or not there was a direct link between the number of beverages he had consumed pre-performance and the number of chorus’s sung.

Highlights of the festival included:
Reason Strikes – who came from Woolongong to farewell Canberra in what was to be their final show in the Nations Capital. The boys are disbanding due to band members parting ways across the globe. They gave a great performance as a send off, obviously thoroughly enjoying themselves. Their enthusiasm was contagious as it spilled out into the crowd who to start with were slightly saddened that this was to be their last chance to see the band play live.

The Royals – this 5 piece ska band from Sydney provided the crowd with a lively and fun performance with gorgeous soaring vocals and peppy horns. They provided a welcomed break from the rock/punk sound which was music to the ears. Singing toe-tapping tunes revolving around hookers and gangsters, it was good to know that there are still bands out there giving the ska-genre a good reputation.

Grand Fatal – out of the ashes of various Sydney rock bands, these Newtown stalwarts have been entertaining crowds for the last 4 years with their blend of energetic punk rock. Celebrating their long awaited sophomore release Free in Fractions these guys showed the crowd just how far they’ve come since forming in 2005. Musically these guys have become trim, taught and terrific as a result of their hard work to polish their sound.

Props must go to The Optionals whose bass-player called in sick at the last minute. Being the troopers they are Johnny and Danny (guitarist and drummer) decided to go with a Mess Hall style set and play sans bass player. Also a highly commended must go to Between the Devil and the Deep and Lamexcuse both giving impressive performances.

A round of applause needs to go to the organisers of Havoc for putting on a fun-filled, cruisey and really entertaining evening. We will very much be looking forward to the possibility of Havoc IV next year.