The Painkillers @ The Bird,Perth (05/11/10)

Mon 8th Nov, 2010 in Gig Reviews

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One of Perth’s newer and niche alternative music venues, The Bird, co-incidentally resides just across the road from where once upon a time the legendary Governor Broome Hotel used to stand, one of Perth’s first venues for punk rock. It provided a stage for seminal rock and punk bands such as the Scientists and The Victims, both bands for whom James Baker of The Painkillers beat the skins.

The Bird was swamped with many rockers, punks and muso’s. Even punks from as far as Korea had hunted down the venue that was to host two of Perth’s most legendary rock bands. The only real criticism is that the lighting on stage was quite dim and did not allow all band members to be seen in their glory.

Support band, The Volcanics launched into their first song of the night; 3:45, with a frenzy of drumbeats and guitar riffs, playing with the wisdom and skill similar to The Stooges and MC5, acknowledged influences for the band. Front-man John Phatouros was giving it his all, his powerful raw vocals and slender silhouette made you squint to check if it actually was Iggy Pop up on stage! New track, Shakedown, got the crowd hyped and there was many a body shakin’-it down on the dance floor in affirmation. A few slam-dancers even got involved. The crowd was up for interaction and they were not holding back. Rockin’ out, heads thrashing, cheering and hollering, the crowd was captivated and ecstatic to be in the cage of The Bird .

The band provided a professional yet raw delivery with explosive drumming by ‘The Noxygen’ Knox on skins. Guitarists Tommy Hopkins and Pete Lake provided great lead breaks and backing vocals whilst Pete Acklin provided the glue that kept the band together with his black Burns bass. If Batman played bass – it would be this one.

The Bird’s stage and P.A. was quite small for the big sound The Volcanics provided but the musicians adapted effortlessly. Paul McCarthy (The Jackals, The Wishers) made a guest star appearance, providing some unique vocals, reminiscent of Nick Cave at times, as he performed a song he co-wrote for The Boys, over 30 years ago.

The Volcanics had finished, and the crowd was eager for more. A stone-age primitive rock drumbeat began as James Baker set the scene whilst Joe Bludge joined him on guitar and vocals, for the Intro of Suicide Machine – both men masters of their craft. The room was stacked and packed, this crowd came to get involved – rockers, punks muso’s and music lovers are drawn to the stage like moths to a flame.

The Painkillers provided their own special guests, both from The Wishers: Mark Constable on Harmonica and Luke Dux on electric guitar provided one part water to add to the original duo’s gritty rock base creating an amazing swampy style of surf guitar reverb with pulsing tremolo effects.

A snapped string during Bar Room Blues did not phase the band but provided a successful ‘improv’ opportunity for Bludge to continue with his captivating vocals whilst Dux played on. Love Cancer proved to be a crowd favourite. All band members were having just as much fun as the crowd. It was all over too soon, but the eager listeners were left having shared an intimate and intense experience in the presence of two of Perth’s most legendary rock bands.

Check out the gallery HERE