Hey Dad, can you pick me upfrom Josh's... @ The Phoenix,Canberra (12/2/11)

Wed 16th Feb, 2011 in Gig Reviews

It was with a tiny bit of incredulity that people imagined the lovely old *Phoenix Pub holding a two-day mini festival, but that’s exactly what happened at the weekend. Gone were the tiny denim shorts, UDL’s and extreme bag checks that one usually associates with a festival. In its place, some pretty amazing artwork, a tiny stage and plenty of beer.

Hey Dad, can you pick me up from Josh’s, otherwise it’s like two buses featured 18 of our very own local bands stretched over the two days, with artwork by some very talented Canberrans displayed around the pub. The Phoenix is usually populated by musos and their fans, so despite its size, it was the perfect venue for this who’s who of local rock stars.

The festival kicked off at three on Saturday afternoon with self-confessed avant-garde clan, Lakeside Circus. Their experimental music was just the ticket for the laid back feel in The Phoenix, with eager punters grabbing the best seats in the house and busy musicians running to and fro. Lakeside were followed by the ethereal James Fahy and Bo Greenwood, both with sounds that provided the perfect mood for chilling in the afternoon with a cold beer.
 It was around 6 when the tiny pub really started to feel crowded, but on hand to help stem any feelings of claustrophobia was the alt-rock Killing Birds. While their somewhat moody tunes are hardly the type that people mosh to, they were still able to put the crowd in a mood that continued way into the night. The multi-instrumental and tonal Spartak took to the stage next, the experimental duo creating an other-wordly sound and Mornings, who followed soon after, created a similar mood with their distorted guitars and looped bass. By then, the overcrowded pub was up for something that would get them moving and Voss were on hand for just that, their throbbing sound and folk-rock vibe providing just what the doctor (or the beer fuelled locals) ordered. Voss are a band to watch and you’d do well to do just that.
 Prominent on the local scene, Kasha played a set that was true to their punk-rock-electro-pop style and proved why they are deserving of the praise that is often handed to them.
 Party Bus closed the night and true to their name, it was an absolute party. Their raw sound went hand in hand with their on stage antics which included nudity from front man Shaun Conner (I was told to express his interest, ladies) and a stunt with cordial that I don’t think anyone will forget for a long time. Was day one a success? I believe so.

Sunday started out much the same as Saturday: casual beers and a laid-back atmosphere. With music that is both electro-acoustic and folksy, Reuben Ingall eased the quiet and possibly hung-over crowd into things in a rather chilled out fashion, as did Robbie Karmel.
 Love Shy were up next, followed by Orbits, the solo project of man-about-town Warwick JW Smith. His music, which dipped its toe into more than a couple of genres, entranced the audience while still allowing them to sit back and relax. Electro-rock duo Dark Horse welcomed the evening with their spacey tunes and soon after another duo, Crash The Curb, took to the stage, showing the crowd exactly why they are garnering more and more popularity. Continuing the trend of bands who are well known around town, four-piece indie-rock outfit Waterford got the crowd into quite the frenzy, with their tight and loud tunes and by the time they were done everyone was well and truly ready to move.
 Canberra’s resident punk party animals, The Fighting League did what they do best, putting on an energetic and frenzied set that was bursting at the seams with a pretty bad-ass attitude. When perpetually shirtless front man Dominic Death took an impromptu stage dive into the audience he was met with open arms. That, ladies and gents is love. 
The night was bought to a close by stalwarts of the Canberra music scene, Assassins 88. Their noise-pop-punk music created hysterical moshing and shoving that is befitting of a band that is so quickly on the rise. An encore was demanded, but instead a drum solo took place, which was just as fantastic.

So the weekend ended on a high, with the quality and talent of the 18 bands proving that while Canberra may be small we’re certainly not lacking when it comes to amazing bands and solo artists.

Here’s hoping it becomes an annual event.