Forever The Optimist, Zelita,Jakarta Criers, Social Eyes @The Zoo, Brisbane (02/02/2012)

Sun 5th Feb, 2012 in Gig Reviews

If there needed to be any proof that Brisbane was producing good hard rocking bands than four young up and comers did just that on Thursday night. As a small crowd of local music lovers occupied the Zoo you didn’t quite know what you were in for as we were here for some local talent that has had little to no radio airplay.

As lights dimmed down and the crowed hushed, a wall of sound blasted out from the speakers on stage. Social Eyes, an alt rock band out of Brisbane had taken the stage with some good hard drumming backing some powerful vocals from the front man, who is also giving some good energy and enthusiasm into his performance. With most of their songs slowly building up before launching into a ferocious finish, which includes some very cool blue LED drumsticks, the crowd were well and truly warmed up.

With the alt rock out of the way it was time for a good dose of the pub rock sounds of Jakarta Criers. Mixing it up with some hard driving power chords and bluesy guitar licks, Jakarta Criers rip out some heavy material for a good thirty minute set. Rocking out on stage are band members Jack Rowles on bass guitar, Seaton Fell-Smith on guitar, Willis Logan on drums and James Walker leading the four-some through a tight hard rocking set.

As another break in the bands takes place, a small yet largest of the night, crowd fill up the front for the next band of the night, Zelita. Sporting t-shirts with the bands logo on them it is clear that there are quite a few fans here for this one. The chatter of the crowd and the clinking of used beer bottles being cleaned up are broken by an ear piercing sound resonating from the stage. Some eerie keyboard sounds from bassist Andrew Kellie lead into a mix of heavy distortion and a smoke cloud filling the stage for the rest of the band. As the distortion dies down the drums kick in thanks to Kiran Khosla who is drumming with not two, but four drumsticks at once to really get his point across. The heaviest and most exciting intro of the night is soon met with the vocals of front man Jimmy Wenham who doesn’t seem to be connecting with the band at first. With vocals that don’t seem to quite suit the music it becomes clear they Wenham has started out of key and the rest of the band not quite connecting with each other, however they still have the best reception of the night so far.

Zelita’s hard hitting heavy rock really gets the crowd going and as the band tackle a couple of slower numbers, Wenham’s voice gets better and better to where eventually the band have hit their stride. They get heavier and heavier and after a mind blowing solo close their set off with a bang.

After already a great night of local rock, 10.50pm approaches and the lights dim for the final time tonight. Forever The Optimist, a band who have already played alongside the likes of Grinspoon and Calling All Cars, takes the stage and a heavy bass line leads into a pretty epic intro which sounds like it belongs to a Metallica gig. This is it, the crowd isn’t getting any bigger, filling up maybe a quarter of the Zoo’s capacity, we have reached the final band of the night who are out to prove that they have got what it takes to show the rest of Australia that this is Brisbane, and we have got some great music.

With the sound being fiddled with through the course the night it has finally hit the right spot, hitting the audience right on the chest with some seriously pumping music and one hell of a powerful voice. The band, comprised of Jamie and Daniel Page, drummer Andrew Knox and guitarist Kellie Buckman, really get into it jumping around the stage and getting the crowd head banging.

They may have a long way to go but these four young rock bands from Brisbane have shown and proved to us that this town has much to offer musically and reassured us that we have nothing to worry about. Rock music is not going anywhere!