Yet another Saturday night rolls around and it’s an early start for the Plus One Showcase. The early start is reflected at the front of stage during the opening set from Black Mustang. The Zoo had the same vibe as a blue-light disco with more wall flowers than I’ve ever seen at the Brisbane establishment. This didn’t appear to phase the four gents in the slightest nor did it seem to distract from their unadulterated straight-up rock songs. The forceful drumming from Joe Hemingway was perfectly executed without distracting from the guitar riffs which almost have a pop catchiness about them. Jimmy and Back To The Future were clear standouts of the short set. Never once have I been disappointed by Black Mustang and as long as they continue doing what they’re doing, I don’t think I ever will be.

The local showcase continues with two-piece The Blackwater Fever. As the two gents have fun amongst themselves, the crowd thankfully begins to swell. Shane Hicks brings a powerful voice to blues-rock styling of the music while Andrew Walters drumming is spot on and he essentially runs the whole show. However in being a two piece there is no room for error, every missed beat and note is painfully obvious but luckily rare in occurrence. One can’t help but notice that a second guitar would have fit perfectly here or a bass line would have been effective there however what the two gents do together is extremely effective and executed with precision and style. It was a fever that the biggest crowd of the night so far had no problems with whatsoever.

After proclaiming to be Brisbane’s best kept secret, it was time to uncover whether Mexico City really were. Presenting tracks from their latest release Brown Bird which are more rock than previous efforts but still maintain the laid back feelings of earlier recordings. Adam Toole has a smooth almost sweet, earthy sound but with enough depth and range to ensure that people were captivated. As the set rolled on the guitars started to mould into each other however Ghetto, Damn Shame, and Sometime I Wonder were nice inclusions. The audience didn’t appear to respond with endless enthusiasm despite a well rounded set.

Tonight, coming in fourth wasn’t a bad thing. Rollerball are no strangers to the Zoo and people started to move forward to welcome them back this night. Opening with Submarine was a perfect choice as people started dancing as if it was impossible not to. Matt Boland has a voice that doesn’t quite suit his on stage persona and Stew Maclennan makes me thankful that tonight I am not a bass guitar. While Dave Talons guitar riffs didn’t have the same structured execution tonight as you would usually find in their recorded works, it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying. Lowly Sublime, Take Me Back to Hell, Jonothan E and Head Song saw the numbers at the front of the stage grow constantly over the course of the set. Despite the guitar being lost at times in a wall of Cam Roach’s drums the whole set was well put together and an amazing display of exactly what these guys have to offer which is set to grow and get even more intimidating as time goes on.

All in all, it was certainly a showcase of bands who deserve more attention than the usual support slots a punter would catch them in.