Ampfest 2010 Finals @ SubiacoChurch Hall, Perth (28/05/10)

Wed 2nd Jun, 2010 in Gig Reviews

The eminent concept that is ‘battle of the bands,’ lays somewhere in the freezer section between the peas and carrots at a supermarket. Loved yet hated, great but jaded; at the end of the day it’s always going to be a pick and mix variety packet when one vegetable, just as tasty as the others, triumphs above the rest. And Ampfest is very much a band competition in all its glory. Locally famed for seeing acts such as the Dee Dee Dums move on to become Tame Impala, the competition has made a name for itself over the years showcasing fresh sprouts in the early days of their musical careers for which some have grown to acclaim and fame. Focusing on young bands with an emphasis on bringing live music to all ages, or namely under agers, Ampfest brings a very community minded approach to rock’n’roll.

As a brief disclaimer, anyone who ever knocks live music serving a youth market should be plonked right back on their high horse because events for the young are few and far between. For this, all the organisers involved in an event which takes winning bands into a professional studio and provides some great initial exposure and development should be praised beyond belief with showers of gold stars and big ticks of approval. So with that aside, the only real problem in the Ampfest equation is that it’s always going to be a little disconcerting to walk into a church on a Friday evening to partake in something that’s usually far from godly.

With a tight knit music scene such as WA’s keeping everyone loud and proud with the warm tingling buzz of the WAMis still yesterweek, there’s a hell of a lot of weekend gigs, madness and sins to get through before Sunday morning’s confessions for the willing and awake. So to walk into a gig outside the target socio-demographic with toddlers running amuck, proud parents and nans sitting courteously up the back with an awkwardly self conscious crowd of teenagers riddled with sneaky hand holds and first time kisses in a room slightly too big to be intimate; you’ve got wonder what the fuck are you really doing there on a Friday night? Well the answer really sells itself when you look at the lineup for the Ampfest final. With a freebie from The Novocaines and showcase sets from competitors; slap this lineup into it’s natural environment and you’ve got yourself an exceptional show! Sorry was there competition on or something?

RTRfm’s charismatic man about the waffle, Damian Smith, greeted the evening full of sponsors and hilarious groaners to a slowly building but still fairly sparse fan girl filled audience who were greeted with something new as the wildcards took to the stage. Seams are a young band that provide a talented mesh of quirky pop songs, dynamic rhythms and limitless instrumentation. If Justin Bieber and Prince had a love child, it would be born the very talented frontman Lyndon Blue who brings the band together with his essential flare. With great harmonies and wonderfully busy arrangements among a myriad of instruments including theremin solos, this is a band that, whilst still finding their feet live, are certainly defining their own sound to success.

Second on the bill, band Minute 36 mesmerised in a completely different way. With a very simple approach to their music, the spooky jazz-alternative Albany trio, define everything wonderful about minimalism. The combination of an arch top guitar, two-piece drum kit and double bass come together so perfectly; and with a very defined image, Minute 36 are the complete piece.

Indispensable singer/songwriter; self-taught double bassist and quirky vocalist; Kris Nelson, demanded the crowd’s attention with his tongue in cheek and wonderfully cocky, don’t mess with me persona. You couldn’t help but laugh when he dedicated one their songs to his ‘fucking ex girlfriend’ to a few joyous gasps at his cheeky quips under god’s roof. Whilst this unfortunately went over many of the younger heads, who dispersed, too busy getting loose on juice and free fruit, there certainly was an air of appreciation for the presence this band created with the rest of the audience locked front of stage. The only downfall of being so minimal is that the talents of Mark Neal on guitar can never truly break away from rhythm into a lead or riff driven break; something that guest musicians or an additional sax player / dirty old school organist would truly compliment to make this the perfect band. Maybe Boom! Bap! Pow’s ever moonlighting Jack Doepe could venture into another project?

Fat Jackal seemed to be the newest of all the bands playing on the block with the eager to please earnestness first gigs often bring. The three piece brought to the table very strong blues a’la punk a’la garage rock efforts with powerful vocals from singer Joel Martin and catchy guitar riffs to boot but didn’t place anything new or groundbreaking on the musical table. There’s certainly a market for what they’re doing and they’re doing it well; provided they bring enough quirks and a unique angle to stand out in the long run.

Goodnight Tiger have really come into their own distinction this last year, stealing hearts across Perth with their sincerely beautiful take on folk-driven pop music. In duo form at the Ampfest Finals, Jill Chrisp and Perrin Date took the audience on a melodic adventure and many sat mesmerised by their first time viewing of Goodnight Tiger’s beautiful blend of complimentary guitars, stomp box rhythms and occasional glockenspiel choruses. The tightly knit pair shares an infectious friendship, which renders across their music and on-stage banter; a key ingredient in their remedy for success. The songwriting plays with clever words that toy with the listener in an air of cheeky regard that’s washed over with a wave of innocence. Song, Tight Arse Tuesday is a must download off their unearthed site!

As the judges tallied up the results, The Novocaines provided an entertaining set that read like a 101 lesson in rock’n’roll history. Channeling all varieties from punk to alternative country, the dynamic performance was complete with Marriott’s black belt tambourine and perfect front-man flair. Unfortunately sound problems and a venue too large for its audience lost the effect to a certain degree.

And without any further ado the winners were;

1st Goodnight Tiger
2nd Minute 36
3rd Fat Jackal
4th Seams

Each band in the finals claimed proportionate amounts of the ten grand bounty which includes recording and promotional packages along with music shop vouchers. Throw in a different group of judges and the results could very much have been different; all acts were at the top of their game and very worth keeping locked on the radar.