The Galvatrons @ The EdinburghCastle, Adelaide (09/05/09)

Mon 11th May, 2009 in Gig Reviews

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Prior to the weekend, I was not familiar with the Galvatrons. That was soon to change, as their live set is something I won’t quickly forget.

Walking into the venue on Saturday night, I was immediately confronted with their names on flashy posters in every corner. At this point I was still not sure what to expect, but judging by the crowd and visual aesthetic of the band my mind conjured images of an electro-indie hybrid of Midnight Juggernauts and Pnau. Oh boy, was I so wrong.

The night began with an introductory set from local outfit Jimmy and the Mirrors. This is a group always guaranteed to lure a flock of leather jacket-clad teens at every show they perform, and tonight’s Ed Castle – œWOW’ crowd was no exception. Playing a series of their up-beat indie rock, as always their energy and cheersquad of fans resulted in a good show.

Waiting in the band room next for the Galvatrons to play, I notice a suspicious amount of big hairstyles surrounding me. And leather jackets. And then it all made sense. From the moment the foursome walked on stage they were emulating Jon Bon Jovi in every way you could possibly imagine.

Bringing Adelaide the very best of reincarnated cock rock with a synthy twist, enter: The Galvatrons.

The 80’s sure have been fashionable lately, but here you have a group that have taken it on a more personal level. At best they can be encapsulated as such: “They sound like the soundtrack to Flashdance,” a punter next to me mutters. “Are they really signed by Warner?”

Promoting their most recent single release Cassandra, the show begun with lead singer Johnny Galvatron taking to the microphone with true rock star aplomb. Playing likeable tracks like When We Were Kids and Donnie’s on TV teamed with maximum guitar distortion made for a set that was consistent and really got those punters who had dragged themselves away from the beer garden moving.

Yet what started as a positive response sadly began to diminish as the set neared its end. Apparently, not all punters were fans of the lead singers continual “Yeeeooowwww’s”.

A solid set full of cock rock gusto and mean guitar riffs, these guys were really great to watch. And even if you’re not a fan of Van Halen love children with metro haircuts, go to their gig for the sake of its entertainment value. Laughs guaranteed.

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