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Expectations were high in Perth on Saturday night as the much-anticipated Sydney band Grafton Primary arrived for their sold out show. The single support; Boys Boys Boys! keyed up the waiting audience with their own pop-rock and ever so slightly cheesy sound. Boys Boys Boys! take you on a journey back to the days of singing into your hairbrush with your girlfriends at a slumber party.

The highly energetic the six-piece showed off their bright and loud style complete with synchronised dance moves. The audience jumped around and danced up an atmosphere particularly appealing to the young hipster girls in the club. Performing songs from their debut album YES they kicked off their set with Lovey and continued with Whore, challenging the modelling industry, and of course, songs about boys including Army Boy and Where Have all the Good Boys Gone? Their music is very much typical girl-pop, (even though half the band is male) and pays tribute to the girl-groups of the sixties, adding synth to create something more imaginative.

It was interesting to see them continuously switching instruments they clearly all have an enthusiasm for music, however all pitching in quirky comments at the same time did them no favours. Calling for audience participation, they were not deterred by the lack of encouragement from the audience -who seemed shocked to hear such a seemingly immature band singing song about spandex supporting Grafton Primary. The girls claimed, “Five claps is better than no claps” at the end of one track, but really Boys Boys Boys! have awhile to wait before they receive much praise from the rock and indie mix that had gathered.

The packed and hyped up crowd exploded when Grafton Primary emerged onto the dark stage launching their set and thrilling the audience with a pulsating instrumental introduction. Their music flowed effortlessly and their professionalism shone through. The electro-nu wave set was minimal and trouble free with simplistic graphics behind them, nothing fussy on stage and a wicked light show highlighting their customary make-up. They didn’t need to add any comments in-between tracks; except to please their devoted crowd; “Perth is swiftly becoming our favourite” which only pumped up the masses more.

Seamlessly performing their debut album Eon, Grafton Primary created a pulsating environment that would be just as respectable in a European setting. Popular tracks such as SOS Hello, I Can Cook and Records for the Righteous elicited a responsive reaction from the crowd, who clearly were not walk-ins, rather they were there to dance and connect with the band through their poetic and technical lyrics. The only downside to their set was not seeing the famous keytar, but in amongst the dancing throng and the sound of synth filling the club it was soon forgotten.

It was clear there would more to come when the trio left the stage finishing with All Stars but without playing their highly celebrated single Relativity. Aside from the multitude’s cries for more, the band’s synths called them back onto stage for the encore. The techno trio are great to listen to and infectiously compel you to move to their powerful rhythm but live these guys not only give you a commanding beat, electro- nu wave-indie mixes and expressive lyrics, but also a night to remember with their dominant stage presence and atmospheric force.

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