Dallas Frasca and her band are the absolute picture of the quintessential Australian hard-working band. Her name may be Dallas and influences from the US blues and roots scene abound, but these guys are all ours. The Byron Bay based group have been all over this wide brown land, and it shows in their music, laced with the sounds of a band that know the road like the back of their finger-picking hand.

Recently, Dallas took to the road again with her band to celebrate the much-anticipated release of her first EP, Not For Love or Money. One of the first gigs on the list was at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel, the iconic venue situated on busy Swan Street, Richmond. We love everything about her: her strange graf art, her elegantly well-worn back bar, her rooftop haven complete with twinkling lights. But most of all we love the spot directly between her surprisingly loud speakers.

It’s within this comfy scene of gig-goer bliss that I stumble upon the barefoot blues of Kim Churchill. The young man from Merimbula, on NSW’s Southern Coast, blends a coastal vibe with a unique playing style that merges finger picking and elements of body percussion. His singing has a joyful, cruisy quality, that means you can practically see the breaks and shining sands when he performs. He looks pretty unassuming in his bedhead hair and faded jeans, but there’s no disguising it: the kid’s seriously talented. There’s a sense of authenticity and joy in his slap-tap hi-jinks, yet you never get even the remote feeling he’s showing off. This scruffy surfie, with his unusually resourceful and entertaining style, is likely to go far. Check him out.

When Dallas Frasca hits the stage, she’s a force of nature, all bright red Medusa dreads and 80s shiny purple tulle dress set off by dramatic blue light. She looks every inch the audacious rock star. And that voice. It’s dark, it’s deep, it’s husky as hell. And it’s loud, loud, loud. I’m bemoaning my lack of earplugs at this moment, and I know I’ll pay for it, but I can’t resist edging ever closer to the speakers. That screech from the belly of hell is tantalising, yet strangely beautiful, wrought as it is with honesty and raw emotion. Acoompanied by electric guitar trained to simular volume, I’m waiting for the walls to catch fire with the pure ferocity of it all.

A contrast to this sound is the new single I Like You Better When You’re Straight. The track chugs along with steady energy, and it’s likely Dallas’ poppiest tune yet. The set reaches a high with crowd favourite Take a Look. Dallas yowls out and the crowd responds, in perfect harmony. The song is cathartic and raw, a great yell-along anthem. Her to-die-for silver jazz guitar gets a workout, as does that of her bandmate Jeff Curran. Curran is one of the most talented and exciting roots guitarists in the country – his distinctive upside-down left-handed playing style is a thing in itself, but those driving, rhythmic licks and slides turn his gorgeous silver beast into more than a mere instrument, and more than a foil for Dallas’ powerful vocals. It’s roaring and raw, quite distinctively linked to the hot desert sounds of Texas roots ‘n country, with a twist of hard rock brutality. Brenden Lees’ drum sound anchors it all down, his heavy-handed beats cutting through Frasca and Curren’s dual roar with ease. An honorable mention goes to notable local singer-songwriter Jess McAvoy, her backing vocals adding a smoother element to proceedings.

Despite her obvious talent for volume, hearing Dallas sing a stunning acapella tune with no accompaniment but her own foot, she proves that she don’t need no guitars to sing her songs. The song is concluded with rapturous applause. Her fans are passionate indeed – the band commands two encores. Satiated, I walk out feeling like I’ve killed several more fragile eardrum cells. But I’m certainly happy. A great night out is ringing in my ears.

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE GIG HERE