The kiddies stayed home for this one (an “interesting” pre-gig conversation I had with a gentleman who claimed to be the owner of a Kings Cross strip joint was, perhaps, the most explicit indication Regular John don’t pull the usual crowd of teenage scenesters). Nonetheless, the Sydney quartet put on one hell of a show that had the filled-to-capacity Oxford Arts Factory screaming out for more.

Kicking off proceedings for the night were the post-rock stylings of Melbourne upstarts Shaman Son. Having heard good things about these kids, it was with a degree of expectation I watched on from the back of room. Fortunately, they did not disappoint, punching out an energized 40 minute set of guitar-driven rock. A fine effort.

Gracing the stage next were Regular John tour mates, Talons. Venturing down an (extremely) well worn path of stoner rock, the Sydney three-piece still managed to hold my attention, if not for contrasting reasons. Their Mars Volta-esque breakdowns and interludes were, in fact, something special, with frontman Christian Best’s bratty guitar and obscure solos surprising compelling. Conversely, their choruses did absolutely nothing for me, with their hooks getting lost in all the mess. Half their songs are brilliant, while the other half are equally uninspiring. The local lads have obviously generated a substantial fan base for themselves out there, so I would not dare ask they change their sound on account of my humble opinion, I would just suggest they attempt to close the gap between their best and worst songs.

Then, at half past ten, the curtain was drawn on the dim lit stage as the familiar sound of sirens echoed over the venue’s PA system. Without warning, the four men of Regular John came bounding out, breaking straight into scream-your-lungs-out hit single Transmitter. Before the crowd knew it, the set was four songs deep, with other radio favourites Abattoir Noir and Language also getting early starts.

On tour to support the release of their new album, The Peaceful Atom is a Bomb, the band’s live show tonight certainly lived up to the title of its recorded effort – the mellow banter between band mates merely a prelude to the explosion of energy once the guitars and drums kicked in. Deriving their name from the Queens of the Stone Age track, the musical influence of the latter on Regular John is evident in more ways than one – the bass heavy guitar sounds and infectious jams of the Sydney locals are very Josh Homme. Meanwhile, the dynamic three-pronged vocal attack from guitarists Brock Tengstrom and Ryan Adamson and bassist Caleb Goman blended flawlessly.

Regular John are an exhaustive band. By mid set, the band had expended more energy than the average supernova. But with a stream of adrenalin pumping through their veins, they surged on, sending the crowd even more into frenzy. After close to an hour on stage, Regular John closed their set with the hard-rocking Easy Rider – frontman Brock Tengstrom crowd surfing while performing a screaming guitar solo to absolute perfection.

Regular John are, without doubt, one of the most polished live bands I have ever seen. If it wasn’t for the rough and ready appearances of the lads onstage, it’d be pretty to watch. Not the sort of band that makes you go home feeling good about yourself, but they don’t try to be. Certainly hitting their strides now, go out and see – œem.