The Novocaines @ Amplifier,Perth (16/07/11)

Sun 17th Jul, 2011 in Gig Reviews

On Saturday evening, local band The Novocaines celebrated the launch of their new single, Summer Waiting. Beneath the glittering disco balls of Amplifier, the band played a mixed set to a mixed crowd.

Despite a limited crowd, Hideous Sun Demon played with plenty of buoyant zeal. With an aggressive sound assisted by heavy distortion and scratchy mixing, the band gave it their all, and clearly enjoyed themselves.

The Tumblers provided a more polished and fuller sound, due to the presence of a stronger rhythm section. At times the vocals transformed into screaming, but the heavy riffs had the still quite small (and progressively more intoxicated) crowd head banging and dancing along to the beat.

Next up were The Love Junkies. The three-piece had a very 90’s feel, and served the slowly filling room with a dose of grunge. Possibly the most well known of the support acts, the band had their small fan base singing along and dancing. The use of a slide and powerful drums provided interesting twists and turns, and they were effective in getting the crowd excited for what was to come.

Finally, the homegrown Novocaines took to the stage. After spending days recording the long waited debut album, singer Corey Marriott expressed his happiness at being back in Perth. A ferocious and energetic performance from the band mingled with Marriott’s Billy Corgan-esque pipes satiated the crowd’s appetite. The aggressive set list consisted of a mixture of old favourites and new numbers.

At the beginning of the performance, the band went back to their roots and performed single Cup of Coffee which was unearthed by Triple J and later used in the horror flick Scream 4. About half-way through, the band found time to perform Summer Waiting, the first single off their debut album. At this point, Amplifier was getting fuller, accommodating for the needs of the city-goers making their way around Perth’s limited nightlife.

Other songs such as Trampled Hearts and the bluesy Dead Man’s Hat kept the crowd satisfied, despite some near brawls amongst a drunken crowd. There were definitely points where the music and vocals were very reminiscent of 90s bands such as the Offspring and Smashing Pumpkins . This appealed to the varied audience, which included some older members of the general public.

Despite the event being a launch for the new single, it did not seem to be the most important item on the agenda; the Novocaines were more concerned with putting on a good show. It was easy to see that they love what they do, as proven by the band’s energy and stage presence. Overall it was a solid performance, and after a number of successes (including supporting super group Them Crooked Vultures in January last year) it is clear that the band are finally starting to develop and more professional edge whilst still maintaining the fun spirit that took them to where they are today.

Photo by Stuo