Brash and Sassy @ Amplifier,Perth (16/04/10)

Mon 19th Apr, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Last Friday night wasn’t the usual fundraising event hosted by WAAPA Arts Management students. Rather than a comedy gig to raise money for each student’s secondment, local bands My Mad Flow, Place of Indigo, Brash and Sassy and The Transients entertained supporters, fans and a drunken, enthusiastic Irish freshman at Amplifier.

The later dirty disco-ing, shoe-shuffling dance floor was already littered with cardigan-wearing kids, amps fans mimicking a dress code appropriate for Alexander McQueen’s funeral and friends.

Indie pop rock band, My Mad Flow, didn’t waste anytime jumping into a lively, tight set that created a high standard for the evening. Frontman of the five-piece, Jimmy Hillis III, enticed the foot-tapping, expensive beer-drinking crowd with his refined, strong voice. It may have been his American accent that had some onlookers curious for more or perhaps the curiosity was more an expression of concern as Hillis III’s beautiful, soft voice was muffled out by the loud, attention-seeking sound system.

Catchy pop tune, Untitled #2, in which Hillis III’s magnetically ear-pleasing repetition of the lyrics “break free” and Tyler John Kelly’s euphoric drum solo had some crowd members bopping and would have made a killing on the OC soundtrack. The echoing, pop-rock track, It’s about time..I’m addicted to this shit, almost fell into the familiar, dangerously repetitive territory associated with any commercial teenage rock band but with their busy electrics, unpredictable mix of slow riffs combined with quick, original drumbeats, My Mad Flow delivered a polished set.

As indie rock band Place of Indigo took to the stage, beer-garden chillers were drawn to the front-line as the four piece kicked off their fresh and fiery set with the baroque pop sounding tune Mary. Place of Indigo’s distinctive raw and edgy electric riffs combined with frontman Sam Joyce’s dark and enchanting vocals provided a refreshing change after My Mad Flow’s poppy spectacle.

Appearing absorbed in the music throughout the set, Joyce was fascinating to watch, however, it was guitarist, Steve Choate’s animated and playfully vicious movements about stage that lifted the band’s stage energy and added to the high-spirited atmosphere. The band commanded audience attention with the familiar fine-tuned, poetic 12:15 and strong vocal harmonies in the melancholic but ironically uplifting tune Torture. It was the fresh, jittery sounds of James Cutler on the keyboard and big drum that made new tunes Holiday and final song for their set, Purple, stand out.

A mass evacuation of adorning fans to the beer garden occurred as electro pop disco band Brash and Sassy appeared. Decked out in vintage bright military-styled costumes, sexy black velvet and white suits, Brash and Sassy were without doubt the comedic entertainers for the evening. Undeterred by the cavernous room before them, they launched straight into Questionnaire, a repetitive synthesised electro tune. But it wasn’t the underscoring electro track controlled by the laptop on stage that the small, curious crowd were focusing on. Vocalist Gennaia Febbraio stole the eyes of the audience as she belted out the lyrics “Ooo I’ve got some questions for you baby.” Both Febbraio and fellow vocalist Ava Loverock were mesmerising to watch as they dished out some Abba disco dance moves. The hip-swinging Guy Kristos on keys added to the quirky and strange set as his jazzy moves were a stark contrast to the whispering, sexual vocal harmonies of Loverock and Febbraio in Men in Leather as they belted out the lyrics “sweat melding with blood.”

Are you Brash Are you Sassy was aggressively sexual in performance as Febbraio’s vocals entertained the audience as she intertwined a mockery of what can only be described as a fake orgasm into each chorus. The classy, chicken dance crunch movement performed in time to the odd, electric beat had most male audience members smirking. Disco pop fans moved closer to the stage and several renditions of the ‘sprinkler’ dance combined with the ‘frog leap’ were undertaken by the sprightly youngsters. Loverock’s sarcastic and fun commentary in between each tune held the audience’s attention as she took on a newsreader’s voice and sought the crowd’s opinion on Febbraio’s fascinator by asking, “Do you like the box on her head?”

By the time the popular tune No Milk For You blasted out into the growingly drunk crowd, dancing disco jockeys rocked their socks off on the grungy, semi-slippery dance floor and showed their appreciation for such a strange and exhaustingly entertaining set by freeing their eighties disco dance inhibitions.

After the unique and fresh sounds of My Mad Flow, Place of Indigo and a gratifying set by Brash and Sassy, hype for Musicoz Artist of the Year 2008, The Transients, was high. Perhaps a little too high.

Upbeat dance track In The Sound and slower, pop-fused Mischa featuring the vocal talents of purple satin dressed Jasmine Yee were polished but nothing to rave about. The grand electro-beat build up and soft vocals by Yee in Can’t Let You Be Lonely would have appealed to some Grafton Primary fans. It was, however, the dark, unusual track Stay and captivating vocals of frontman Béla Inkster in You Know Why and the familiar, boppy, One Day, with its obscure keys, articulate lyrics and messy electric drumbeat made up for the otherwise repetitive sounding set.

A fine night out with some equally fine bands, even if the final act left little to write home about.