Lavers, Active Jetpack,Acoustix, Cam McLennan @ TheBasement, Canberra (30/7/11)

Sun 31st Jul, 2011 in Gig Reviews

On Saturday night we were treated to the soulful sounds of Cam McLennan, who, standing alone on the stage with only his guitar, had the Basement swaying to his calming tunes. Next up Acoustix carried on the same ambience, with half the band missing, their acoustic (it’s not just a clever name) cover set had this reviewer singing along (albeit terribly) to Pink Floyd and Faith No More, much to the embarrassment of my friend.

Hitting the stage in a flurry of sounds and screams, Active Jetpack proved their solid fan base was out in force tonight as a swarm of guys, gals took to front-of-stage to bop and jump along to their catchy and at times ear-splitting tunes. The last of the three support acts, Active Jetpack amped the punters up for the headiner.

Lavers are definitely making a name for themselves on the road, with the foursome gearing up to record their debut EP in August. Squeezing in another super-catchy set before hitting the sound booths, the boys gave us a little preview of what will hopefully become their album.

Lavers wasted no time taking to the stage, with the four local lads bringing The Basement to its feet. They opened with an obvious favourite, Blue Rose, which had the crowd yelping, whistling, screaming and dancing (did I see someone crowd surf?). Their mix of elements create songs that are interesting to listen to as they take you from one stage to another. In particular, a new song they dedicated to the boys in the room highlighted each band member’s talent.

It’s easy to see where Lavers draws its influences. Through their set, we were treated to easy-going melodies, a slapping of punk and a dash of high-pitched guitar, all rolled into one bite size quartet. The result? The Basement rocking and bopping along to a set that seemed like it was over as soon as it had begun. Songs rolled into each other with planned accuracy. Their cohesiveness as a band was plain to see and proved just how much potential they have and what a bright future the Music God has in store for them.

Everyone had a place in the bar tonight — you were a fool if you couldn’t find a song you loved. Music lovers were lapping up every second. One minute they were swaying along to the harmonies, the next they were moshing. In a nutshell, that summarises the diverse range of music these lads play and they played it well tonight.

Their loyal and active fan base was celebrating birthdays galore. Between Active Jetpack and Lavers, we sang Happy Birthday twice and wished many more among the crowd. 
After tonight, I’m anticipating one hell of a debut EP.