Triple R’s live-to-air performances are always quite the treat. Their ability to send rocking tunes through sketchy car stereos and little white headphones have been keeping the people of Melbourne happily entertained for years. Sydney rock duo The Mess Hall graced the Triple R studios and airwaves last Tuesday for a power hour of damn fine rock and roll.

Having laid seemingly low on the music scene since the release of the 2007 AMP award winning album Devils Elbow, the Sydney rock duo are back, and sounding tighter and hotter than ever before.

A leisurely, balmy spring afternoon saw the Triple R studios quickly filled with subscribers and fans of all ages. There’s nothing like a touch of Jed Kurzel’s rocking guitar riffs and vocals partnered with Con Condon’s smashing rhythm blazing down the airwaves to make your Tuesday afternoon worthwhile. Kurzel comically likened the broadcast to that of Led Zeppelin on the BBC. On a grass roots level, this comparison actually works splendidly well. The tracks from the new album follow in the footsteps of the bands previous rock antics, yet seem to creep into a more bluesy and melodic arena. It’s rock and roll with vibrance, total energy and of course some damn fine drumming. Although a live to air broadcast, there was little – œradio friendly type toe tapping’ occurring as the guys belted out tunes from their forthcoming LP For the Birds.

The studio was witness to a collective crowd bounce when the duo performed some older favourites, including Keep Walking and Pills from Notes from a Ceiling. The boys new baby Bell, lives inside their theme of explosive guitar riffs but the inclusion of keys and a god damn funky drum beat makes this an exciting taste of what’s to come on For the Birds.

As The Mess Hall continue to not-so-cleverly be compared to other rock duos, the well rested and well experienced sons of rock and roll are back and ready to smash out some tunes for our summer ears, and this may well be the album to blow these comparisons into another day. It all fell into place when the clad in black guy ahead of me whispered “White Stripes shmite stripes, these guys are the business.”

After a number of crowd requests, including the mammoth Disco Number 1, the on air light flicked off and the crowd, happily dosed up on amplified bliss, hit the streets of East Brunswick ready to take on the world, or at least pint or two.