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The drum beat shook the floor and the strong bass line amped up the pace and Long Gone Midnight began their support set. The Perth blues rock group clearly care about their music as their lengthy tracks were filled with complex instrumentals and intricate guitar riffs creating a richly layered sound. Jamey Terry (guitar/keys) in particular, was totally absorbed in his work. The Scotch of Saint James fans might have recognised lead vocalist and guitarist, Bobby Burgess in this ensemble as well. Their performance ended on a commanding note with track The Wheel caught in everyone’s head.
The Novocaines looked like the love child of the Ramones and David Bowie with the music to back it up. Why don’t you come on over, I just feel a bit lost sometimes, Why don’t you come over, we’ll be getting high. They give a hard blues twist to their classic rock sound complete with a harmonica. Guitarist Jay Marriott seemed to have rock seizures when the tempo increased -eventually breaking a guitar string… classic.
Corey Marriott fronted the band with his tambourine and fitted into the role of entertaining, passionate, lively vocalist perfectly. Their music varied between slow, soft, yet powerful and wildly, insanely, energetic with climaxes that sounded like the soundtrack to someone throwing a TV out of a hotel window.
Blueberry Sky became intense with wounded emotion that you could feel from the crowd. As well as playing some new material they covered their “old school – œcaines” proving popular with their fans. Showing their Velvet Underground influences perhaps, they have released Cup of Coffee on 7” vinyl. You’d never know it to look at them, but these are country boys from Northam and they even dedicated a song to their home town.
Launching with a pulsating bass drum beat and drawn out tuning guitar, followed by echoed keys were Sydney duo The Fumes comprised of Steve Merry and Joel Battersby. They succeed in creating the sound of a four or five-piece with seeming effortlessness.
They alternated between blues ‘n’ roots and smashingly loud, fast and heavy. Their tracks were long, switching between the contrasting styles, with the unkemptly bearded Merry giving first raspy country vocals then screaming loud yells. They performed their new album Sundancer the title of which is perfect -sweet chill out music but at the same time providing quick and lively patterns. Merry performed soulful guitar solos at intervals, providing Battersby a brief rest from his extreme drumming workouts.
Their music would fit comfortably into a room full of people smoking illegal fun or on a beach with people chilling or in a car driving on an open road. Their slower melodic tracks touched the heart and contrasted nicely with their more spirited, energetic music. The Fumes express a vision of art and joy in their music; they collaboratively create a fusion of hard rock and country folk to convey a meaningful message behind their compositions.
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