The Gimmies @ Jive, Adelaide(14/05/09)

Sat 16th May, 2009 in Gig Reviews

Advertised as “Thunder Express” tonight’s first band were in actual fact, Adelaide’s Shit Magnet, a mish mash and who’s who of various local punk bands. The Adelaide punk band, is much like an old XF Ford with three different coloured doors, and a backyard L.P.G conversion; its reasonably reliable and good for a laugh. For tonight’s international guests, Shit Magnet were probably a good example of what Adelaide punk is about; play song, drink beer, play song, crack bad joke, play song, get heckled, drink beer, etc. There were definitely some good guitar leads backed by a fairly solid drummer, again, something Adelaide punk is good for. Shit Magnet have vocals shared between the three upfront members, which would work better if they all had the same mic levels. When one of the singers, Pete, announced he had finished his singing duties for the night, a heckle came “thank fuck for that”, friendly as it were, it still managed to leave Pete lost for words for a few seconds; shutting a punk up is no easy task.

Lyla, an Adelaide – œrock n roll’ band, well dressed, nice amps, and probably nice lads and there’s the problem. These young chaps are reasonable musicians, absolutely no qualms there, but sadly these guys are too damn nice to play rock n roll. The proof, their cover of Jumping Jack Flash by The Rolling Stones, was devoid of any spirit of the original, how that is possible is a mystery, just humming the opening riff gets most people fired up. It was made to sound like a variety show lounge anthem, rather than the angst riddled beast it is. These boys would be better off going back to the Elder Hall Conservatory and writing pop and jazz numbers for white bread Australia, not that there’s anything wrong with that. As an angry tattooed bloke once snarled “Nice boys don’t play rock n roll”, its true, otherwise John Farnham would own this country.

Japan’s The Gimmes were clearly not a hot ticket tonight, the bar staff were falling over each other trying to serve the few patrons using the bar. Are Adelaide people really that spoilt for choice in live music these days, or have they become that cynical they won’t support a novelty punk band from Japan. Whatever the reason, those who decided to rug up inside, with slippers and port probably made the right decision. If The Gimmies sang in Japanese, or incorporated some Tokyo Shock Boys action, it may have been another story. Sure they were fast, but lacked intensity. Their cover of Radio Birdman’s New Race, was their chance to redeem themselves, but instead they had us remember how even Daniel Johns spat it out better.