Despite high hopes for a strong contingent of performances, the cold weather outside was matched by the super powerful air-conditioner inside effectively isolating one area of the room as punters huddled near the second stage to keep warm. First fail point of the night.
Walking into the Corner, Sydney boys Ink were already winding the steadily growing crowd up to a fever pitch on the main stage. Black Water Reign was a fairly well received release, but one can’t help but thinking that there is something missing – the killer live shows that Ink are known for must have been on hiatus tonight, despite their good stage presence. That said though, the combination of great lighting (a rare occurrence at the good old Corner) and overly excited punters right up against the barrier made for enjoyable, if not entirely memorable viewing.
The logistics of Showdown deserve praise, for the simple fact that there was never too long to wait for bands to appear on the alternate stages.
On the second stage, Varliiba (one of the more confusing band names in recent history) rocked out, accompanied by an amazing laser show which served many a function. One, it grabbed the attention of punters, to the point where some were staring at the stage slack jawed in abject fascination. On the other hand, combined with the over-excited use of the smoke machine, the boys were often obscured from view, especially if one was camped nearer to the main stage. That said, the boys appeared to lift their musical efforts, and demonstrated their ability to keep a crowd entertained despite their inability to see, well, practically anything.
In the short wait between performances Sharing Space was blasted, only to be replaced by the Terminator 2 theme. Rincon surprisingly emerged sans gorilla suits – practically a trademark of the band. By now, the room had filled to near capacity and the energy that Rincon exuded on stage returned to them tenfold from the crowd, making for a very special set. Despite appearing completely at home on the main stage of the Corner, mistakes were made by the band which could have been avoided. Perhaps the long day had finally caught up with the band – a few notes were dropped at various stages of the set, but nothing catastrophic enough to heavily influence the performance.
Back over on the ‘other’ stage (it really deserves a name), Engine Three Seven were the next band to be engulfed by the laser light spectacular/smoke machine in overdrive combination, albeit within more acceptable boundaries – crowd numbers had lightened up by this time, so the overly happy air-conditioner may have been responsible for this. Engine Three Seven are a thoroughly enjoyable band to watch in that they bring a distinct unique quality to the progressive rock scene without vying too far away from a crowd pleasing boundary. Given time, E37 might achieve that which the heavyweights of the scene possess – tracks and performances that linger within the memory for days on end. At this point in time, the sets aren’t missing any elements despite their potential to step outside the box to greater things.
The room filled up again as punters and ninjas alike waited with baited breath for Twelve Foot Ninja. Disappoint they did not, with a powerful and commanding performance that near incited a riot in the mosh pit. Twelve Foot Ninja have really come into their own over the past few months – and tonight’s set showcased a mature, confident band that clearly enjoy performing. The banter between songs the major letdown of the entire evening though – in all honesty, a band that needs to justify their kudos-rating via anecdotes of drug use should, in future, consider throwing another song into the set instead. That said, they are, still one of the local bands that everyone should see at least once. Even if their music doesn’t grab hold of your feet and start you shuffling, watching the fans decked out in ninja gear is more then worth the entry fee alone.
Up next was Bushido, unofficial ‘other’ stage headliners and proud owners of the ‘best set of the night’ crown. Bushido are quite possibly one of the hidden gems of the Melbourne live scene, and their hiatus late last year has done little or dull the enthusiasm of their loyal following. Disappointingly, the DJ track was left running through the first three songs of the set, abruptly disappearing about halfway through the fourth. Bushido have been likened to Bondi rockers Cog, and it’s easy to see the association – three piece band, powerful lyrics, commanding stage presence, scintillating live shows – the list goes on. Combined with the continually fascinating laser spectacle, Bushido wove a captivating spell over the audience, who seemed disappointed when they finished up.
Rook (sans drummer Rod Crowe; Sean Bailey of Sydonia is still filling his huge, but lovely shoes) had quite a bit to live up to – not only were they headlining the event, but following Bushido on stage is always a little daunting. Reliable and solid as always though, the boys from Rook didn’t disappoint, not even at the late hour. Whilst a fair number of punters had headed home (or to the beer garden, more likely), a strong enough contingent remained to sing along and generate an enjoyable atmosphere in the room. The strong bond in the band was evidenced in not only the appreciating grins between songs, but also through the intimate atmosphere that flowed from the stage and engulfed the room. Rook have been hailed as one of the best live bands kicking around the local scene, and tonight’s performance reaffirms their standing.
The inaugural Showdown mini-festival/circus-of-amusement was a success overall, thanks to the well managed stages, decent performances and great lighting. It’ll be interesting, however, to see what future editions will bring.
to listen to their music now on 
