Bootleg feat. Fearless VampireKillers, The Greasers @Cherry, Melbourne (24/04/09)

Tue 28th Apr, 2009 in Gig Reviews

Nothing much has changed at Cherry – sure, the floor my be a few months away from reaching the optimum level of stickiness for a rock venue – but it’s still the kind of place where you can have a bottle of booze confiscated off you at the door, still be let in and then have the bar try to sell it back to you.

The crowd certainly hasn’t changed and it was easy to spot the indie kids and rockers disdainfully slouching past the assortment of suited after work drinkers and the droves that plague the city on a Friday. But with Vampire Killers on hand at a reopened and revitalised Cherry rock those kids, rockers and other assorted rabble were at the only joint in town worth

First up act Johnny Rock and the Limits had crowded onto stage to form a wall of blokes nearly blocking out their hard hitting female drummer. Lead singer – Johnny presumably – may look like he has left behind a career as a sleazy Mediterranean cruise ship crooner, but the band delivers a decent rock and roll kick. There was little bit of a sing along down front from the collection of mates for the closing track with its brass and Primal Scream Give Out But Don’t Give Up era gospel. It’s all good rocking fun, with a Police cover thrown in for good measure, but for Johnny and the band their limit doesn’t carry them too far.

The Greasers are a far more memorable bunch lead by the prolific Dom Byrne. Obviously the Greasers drag in a few punters through Byrne’s – œother’ band – Little Red – but they’re no time killing side project. Given the chance to hold centre stage for a full set Byrne works himself ragged, sweating floods in his black shirt as his tears his vocal cords up with his ragged rock tunes. After crowd fave Shelly – the closest they veer to the sound of Little Red – they took a punt testing out a few new tracks leading to the almost inevitable lull as the crowd wait for a recognisable fave. But a grungy new tune provides the highlight of the set, even when sitting next to long time set highlight Down in the Basement and provokes the questions from a nearby punter – - œhow long before they overtake Little Red’. It might just happen…

Fearless Vampire Killers were recording their set – or claimed to be anyway, it’s always a great way of getting a crowd suitably riled up. Hopefully they were telling the truth it was one hell of a rocking set. Having honed their set by playing gigs week after week and picking up the support slot for swaggering Swedes The Hives, the Fearless boys deserve their place as one of the bands to watch in cold Melbourne town.

With Greaser Rich Bradbeer backing up for double duty on bass, the band kicked their way through a bluesy set that proved just how much they deserved the accolade of being Triple J’s featured Unearthed artist a little while back. Sporting a fetching lei, Sean Ainsworth led the boys through a dirty brace of rock peaking the closing duo of Monkey and a truly rollicking Deadline – capped by little stage invasion dancing.

In their recent interview with FasterLouder the band claim to finding small crowds and small rooms more intimidating than festival or the huge rooms they played with the Hives, but it seems that Fearless really don’t do intimidation. It seems that half the punters know the band members personally, though that could just be the free flowing booze and close quarters offered by the wonderfully intimate Cherry stage.

Oddly enough, despite the quality of the bands, the star of the night was Cherry itself. It’s been away for seven months, but with the Cherry Rock festival and Bootleg getting live music and punters back down ACDC Lane and behind the barred windows – Cherry is well and truly back. With Bootleg offering up the Witch Hats and the Stabs coming up in the coming months Cherry is the only place for any rock fan to be on the last Friday of the month.

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS OF ALL THE CHERRY ACTION HERE