Philadelphia Grand Jury, Howl,Bearhug @ The Hi-Fi, Brisbane(19/11/2010)

Tue 23rd Nov, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Sydneysiders Bearhug are an intriguing, if incongruous, opening act. Combining classic Dunedin jangle/drone (think The Chills, The Bats or other Flying Nun acts) with abstract song structures, the three-guitar collective don’t look entirely comfortable on a big stage and would certainly benefit from a closer appreciation at a more intimate venue like the now-(sadly)-defunct Troubadour. Someone, please open a new small band space in Brisbane and book these guys!

All the way from Ballarat, garage-rockers Howl show steady admiration for The Horrors’ first album with their set-to-stun horror movie organ and guitar clatter. That said, the five-piece – particularly the positively animalistic drummer – are enormously fun to watch as they tear up one ‘60s-redolent racket after another. Appearing as a special guest tonight is Last Dinosaurs’ guitarist Lachlan Caskey, whose frenzied pentatonic licks reveal a former teenage AC/DC/Aerosmith/Metallica fan in “indie” skin. In all, a highly energetic and entertaining display.

Given a warm welcome, Philadelphia Grand Jury treat the assembled crowd to a typically quirky start. As the curtains open, new drummer Susie ‘Dreamboat’ Patten (of I Heart Hiroshima prominence) pushes through the standing punters, stands on the railing and finally jumps ontage while rapping Jay-Z’s 99 Problems – an established Philly Jays favourite – as Berkfinger sits behind the kit and MC Bad Genius strums away at the guitar.

Afterwards, the band members assume their respective roles and it becomes the type of a gig we’ve all come to know and love, with fan-adored chestnuts like I Don’t Want To Party (Party), first hit Going To The Casino and the current single and Triple J staple Save Our Town all getting a hearty response. Firmly sticking to the “short & sweet” principle, the trio conclude the raucous 40-minute set with the singalong Good News, Berkfinger declaring “_we haven’t got any more songs and we don’t do encores!_” Fair call; after all, it’s going to take another Philly Jays album for them to play for more than an hour. To paraphrase the band’s debut LP title, hope is for the hopeful – and for now, it’s the bus home.