The only disappointing thing about this show was the total lack of a crowd for a group of bands who have had well over 100,000 My Space hits between them. Surely Green Day wasn’t that much of draw card, particularly for the anti-mainstream types one would expect to see at a local show. The line-up of bands was pretty damn tight, it only cost $10 and The Civic back room (reviewer lost his Civic virginity on this night) is probably the most under appreciated gig space in Perth. So where the fuck was everyone? For those who somehow missed the extensive coverage throughout the street press and the West Australian Newspapers LTD-owned music press, local intellipunks Grim Fandango played a show with Victorian, surprisingly poppy, punks Kill Whitey. The gig came off the back of the two bands recently engaging in the fine punk tradition that is the split EP. They brought with them new-comers Chilling Winston and an almanac of indie/post punk knowledge with the coupling of The Leap Year and Kill Teen Angst.

Firstly, Chilling Winston. Apologies to Chilling Winston should any band members read this. It’s tough enough getting a break as a new band without reviewers rocking up late and missing your set. But as an apologetic gesture FL will plug the band’s next show which is at Swan Basement this Friday night. These guys are so new they don’t even have any songs on their My Space page yet. The only way you can hear them is by seeing them so go do it this Friday now you’re curious.

The Leap Year sounded so 90s they looked out of place wearing t shirts that weren’t Hypercolour and kicks that weren’t Doc Martens. This is by no means a negative comment, they sounded 90s in a Pitchfork-would-love-them-should-be-on-the-soundtrack-to-a-River-Phoenix-movie way. They cite influences such as 90s indie champions Archers of Loaf and C-Clamp and it could definitely be heard in their set. The jagged jangles coming from the telecaster/Gibson two tiered guitar combo, created the atmosphere of an American summer and somehow felt nostalgic even though it was being heard through Australian ears. It was difficult to become lost in their dreamy groove though as the four piece appeared to not be taking themselves very seriously, which they should have because their music deserved it. Playing to an empty floor may have caused this and it would be interesting to see what they come up with when they have a crowd to feed off.

They were neatly followed by a band with a similar yet harder sound in Kill Teen Angst. The contrast between the band’s recorded works and their live sound is hard to grasp. While the production of their recorded stuff weaves a particularly indie edge through their music, in the back room of the Civic their power chords held a much larger presence than their single string indie-groove riffs. Scott Tomlinson’s vocals, which bask around Jim Ward territory, also presented more strongly than in the band’s recordings and sounded better without the rough spots being studio-sanded out. Small Town Small Children was probably song of the set, it’s got a great reminisce line in- the sun came up on our conversation and we knew that we must be wasted and a surprising chant chorus that Andrew WK or Danko Jones would have liked to have written.

By the time Kill Whitey arrived on stage the crowd had grown a little bit and the core fans had gotten drunker a big bit so the lacquered cork dance floor finally saw some action. The Victorians were less college and more university tavern than their predecessors and had a very Australian alternative sound that again harked back to the 90s. Guitarist and co lead vocalist Powell, who looked like he should have been hosting The Afternoon Show back in the day, was fairly lubricated and provided some amusing babble in between songs. Any assumptions they would have a similar sound to Fandango since they had done an EP together, were quashed by their guitar-pop riffs and less abrasive vocals. They ran through tracks from the split, which included a cover of Grim Fandango’s The Worst, and some older songs before going and checking out the scenery at the bottom of the Civic glasses.

Grim Fandango should have a greater following in Perth than they do as they’ve got that deranged groove and chord sound and post-a-lot -of-genres vocal style that picky (which pretty much describes all of Perth’s punk listening community) punk/hardcore followers eat up. It’s not just a single voice either it’s a triple layered sandwich of throaty vox that forms a barking wall in front of an audience when played live.

There is no other band in Perth that sounds like Grim Fandango. The acoustics and school-hall atmosphere of The Civic backroom, did the band’s sound perfect justice and their loyal fan-base was vocal as always and shouted their own additions to the songs. One of them, pint in hand, climbed on stage and took over guitarist Aaron’s mic for a few bars towards the end of the show. He then made his way over to the drum kit, hit a couple of cymbals and then returned to the floor to jump around with the others. No one in the band gave a shit, it was like they were playing in a backyard of mates.

Like Kill Whitey, they showcased their new tracks from the split EP, one which was wickedly titled Less Chad Kroeger More Chad Price and did a cover of Kill Whitey’s Bastards Burn. It was a short set, MCd mostly by the energetic Burgs who deserves his own signature edition bass for being so suited to his instrument. Grim Fandango again proved themselves as a highly underrated force on the Perth live music scene and provided a Friday closer that was a wicked listen whether you knew their stuff or not. They also chose a sweet selection of diverse local supports who exemplified the strength and depth of our music scene past the Tame Impalas and Sugar Armys.