Friday night had arrived. What better way to unwind from a stressful working week than with a rockin’ good live show. I had already purchased my ticket for the gig so as to, as they say, avoid disappointment. Given that both of the main local street press had touted this gig as a must see, I wanted to be sure that I wasn’t the one to miss out. The last time I caught the Mess Hall was at the Big Day Out back in February where they lit up the Green stage. With the impending release of their debut album, Notes From A Ceiling, and a lot of industry buzz surrounding them at the moment, I was keen to see what their own live show was like.

We arrived in time to catch the last 15 minutes or so of the set from local lads Wolf & Cub. Somehow, albeit remiss of me, I’ve managed to never see these guys play before. The thing that immediately hits you about the band is that there’s not one, but two drum kits on stage. They’ve got an interesting sound, quite deep with driving rhythms with some twisting guitars mixed in. From the time we arrived ‘til the time the band finished there was no let up in the music. Without much crowd interaction or real stage presence it was like walking in on a Wolf & Cub jam session rather than a live show but I liked their sound nonetheless.

There was a small break between Wolf & Cub and not Detroit’s Whirlwind Heat coming on. The reason I say not Detroit is that it was expressly stated by the band’s lead singer David Swanson that it was Grand Rapids, Michigan and not Detroit so I’d better get that right. The crowd was gradually building and after a quick bum shake to Sir Mix-A-Lot’s timeless classic, Baby Got Back, as the filler music (hmmm, interesting choice?) Whirlwind Heat took that stage.

The chattering crowd was silenced by a single bass line before a four count from drummer Steve Damstra launched the bnnd into their opening track. The three piece played with a lot of energy, really throwing themselves at their music and soon had the, still somewhat smallish, crowd nodding their heads in time. It was dare I say a very Detroit sound. Bit punky, bit grungy and elements of blues but nevertheless quite catchy. Having worked with The White Stripes’ Jack White on their first album seems to have definitely rubbed off on the band. Varying pace and lyrics like “a 1, a 2, a 3”, giving all the punters a chance to get involved and sing along. Initially they played with just the drums, a bass guitar and Swanson’s screeching vocals and I remember thinking to myself that a bit of treble wouldn’t go astray. No sooner had that thought left my head when Swanson fired up his trusty moog keyboard he had sitting off to the side. I felt it completed their sound adding that extra dimension I had been looking for. They played about a 40 minute set before finishing with a seemingly out of character slow and moody last track. Obviously talented musicians and much appreciated by those in attendance.

I was expecting a full house for a show that, personally, I had been really looking forward to for a while. It was very disappointing see that the crowd had not grown in size at all during the set from Whirlwind Heat. The venue holds 500 and at a guess I would say they were at least 100 or more short of that. It just had a bit of an empty feeling to it. It was a frosty kind of night in Adelaide so perhaps that kept some people at home but it would have been nice to see a few more faces support such a great line-up.

After due course and time enough to squeeze in pale ale or two the crowd was delighted to see the Mess Hall’s Jed Kurzel and Cec Condon hit the stage. They opened with a laid back track off the new album called Red Eyes And Sunshine. The audience seemed to warm to their sound immediately. The Sydneysiders then kicked into gear with a favorite of mine Shake, Shake from their 2003 EP, Feeling Sideways. Now, I know it’s been said before and it’s seems almost pointless saying again but for a two piece, these guys have such a big live sound. It really is amazing for a band of just two. Jed puts absolutely everything into his vocals and uses his rock and roll scream to great effect. Jed’s voice I think is an underrated element in the band’s music. Quite versatile, often grinding out tones complimenting the music like a third instrument rather than vocals.

Railyard Rumble brought about some hand clapping and had pockets of the crowd breaking out in enthused dancing which was great to see. With the catchy bluesy rock that the boys were cranking out it was harder to stand still than to let loose and get into it. Still, some gig goers seemed content to stand back and enjoy the tunes. Mixing in both new and old stuff, Lock and Load which I remember going off at the Big Day Out, unfortunately just didn’t seem to pack the same punch that I remembered. Seemed like the volume had been turned down somehow or maybe there was just a little too much bass. A shame because it’s such a great track. Disco 1, the first radio release from the album, gave me goose bumps and for me was the highlight track of the night. The set finished with the big rock and roll finish you knew was coming and I for one was more than happy with what I’d seen. A quick break and then back out to treat the crowd to a two track encore to finish off a night of good music.

The music on the night was great and I’m sure those that were there left happy with what they’d seen and heard. Just a pity more people couldn’t have made the effort to give it that real party atmosphere.