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This gig can be summed up by two factors; drumming and Aussie rock. With their drummer called away to a wedding, it had been announced that Lucius Borich of Cog and his own drumming fame would be filling in, fans of Dead Letter Circus knew they were in for a treat. Alongside this exciting line up change the aura of mutual artist respect, which has become synonymous with Dead Letter Circus performances, found its voice again at Jive.

Opening the evening was South Australian five piece San Marcos. Followed by a respectably sized group of loyal fans, they pounded through their seven song set list, worth special mention was their final track Halo which embodies their strengths as a group, in changing pace and driving energy, held together by the exceptional skills of their drummer, Webby.

Next came a long build up to Melbourne act Sydonia. Watching their mammoth drum kit, complete with extra toms, being erected created a sense of excited anticipation. As the group began it was clear that the evening’s professionalism had stepped up a gear. The opening track Sorry set the mood drawing the growing audience into their brand of melodic rock. The humour of the guitarist was a highlight, handling some over enthusiastic crowd moments with comic rebuttal. The aforementioned camaraderie of the Aussie music scene began to show as two members of Dead Letter Circus brought shots onto the stage to share with Sydonia and then joined them on the extra drums for an all out drumming orgy of primal beats overlaid by gentle guitar feedback.

Well primed by the clear talent of Sydonia, the audience was edgy for Dead Letter Circus. As they set their stage and performed a last sound check, the venue music paid homage to other Australian rock groups such as The Butterfly Effect, Mammal and Karnivool, again impressing the mutual support of bands within the Australian Music scene.

Finally the lights dimmed and lead to their audience by fill in drummer and “special friend” Borich, Dead Letter Circus took the stage. Opening with The Mile lead singer Kim Benzie powered through an incredibly difficult vocal line and brought the crowd under his control. The pounding talent of Borich blended seamlessly with the band, displaying not only his aptitude as a drummer but the skill and intricacy of the drum beats within Dead Letter Circus’ music. Benzie’s bouncing energy drew the crowd into multiple sing alongs, the standout being within the new single The Space on the Wall off the highly anticipated album due out in May 2010, when the venue rang with the sound of the audience in chorus. The group were joined on stage repeatedly by the boys from Sydonia, returning the favour of shots and then as the beginning of some epic crowd surfing, which culminated in Benzie climbing the speaker stack during Disconnect and Apply , diving into the crowd and returning to the stage in time with the song. Brilliant.

Most impressive was the performance of Alien live. The complex and engaging track from their self titled EP took on a new life in its live presentation, the skill of Borich again accentuated by the pulsing delivery. Ending the track with a reggae feel was both unexpected and exciting, changing the mood in the room as their impressive fan base realised the clever alteration and jigged in time.

The group paid homage to former Adelaide powerhouse band The Testeagles rounding out an evening of progressive rock and respect, epitomised by Dead Letter Circus within the Australian live scene. So many bands were represented that night, showing how rather than competing Aussie bands are working together, promoting each other, reminding us of just how fantastic and diverse Australian live music has become.

CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS HERE.