Last Friday night the Ferntree Gully Hotel saw the re-opening of Anti, the outer eastern suburb’s equivalent of punk/alternative night clubs like Next and Bang, and to celebrate was a line-up of steady local talent. A combination of pop/punk, screamo/metal and a surprise acoustic set made for a night of variety that was anything but boring.

The event kicked off with the metal/thrash stylings of first support Burnt Ashes who won the approval of most within the small-sized audience. Relatively new on the scene, the band has only recently released their debut demo, yet their performance was in no way amateur.

It was not only a change in set, but also a drastic change in style when So Last Summer took to the stage. A pop/punk sound, comparable to many of the big names who embrace the genre, and strong vocals resonated throughout the hotel, delivering a promising first impression. A couple of songs down the set list, however, revealed close similarities between most of the tracks and consequently, the boys struggled to maintain audience interest. Including more variation in the song writing process should deliver good things to a band that holds great potential.

By the time that main support We, The Innocent took to the stage, the crowd had grown significantly and had arrived in time to see the atmosphere lift. A matured and improved performance since the last time the band graced the Ferntree Gully Hotel’s stage back in August 2008, with new songs, new confidence and a new name (previously Amongst the Vein).

A highly polished and synchronised performance was further complimented by some inspiring vocal talent. Frontman Matt Rose and bassist/back-up vocalist Nathan Mackinnon have an ability to produce contrasting vocals which mesh together perfectly and create a really individual sound. The combination manages to blend a mixture of genres and sounds into singular songs and the end result is most worthwhile attending to.

As the stage was being prepared for Stealing O’Neal’s set, it became obvious we weren’t going to encounter one of their usual high-energy, rocking performances. Three chairs and three guitars sat at the front of the stage, causing curiosity to be sent rippling through the crowd.

After explaining themselves as soon as they sat down behind their mics (drummer Ryan D’Sylva had broken his foot), they launched into an intimate acoustic set. Followers of the band would have really appreciated this opportunity to see a different side of them, a side which allowed you to really experience and acknowledge frontman Chris Scott’s impressive vocal range.

The engaging performance included popular songs Collide and Chin Up Baby, but it was the cover of The Arctic Monkey’s, I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor which elicited the biggest crowd response (which was still quite tame). Unfortunately, the general audience involvement was rather minimal, despite the boy’s attempts to win them over with free beer, and it was a set that deserved a much larger reward.

Yet the perfect unison, flawless tone and pitch and amusing banter did not go unnoticed by this reviewer, making it still a very entertaining night. Regardless of the unreceptive audience, Stealing O’Neal put on a brave and impressive performance which perhaps would have been more appreciated at a different location or at a different event.