O Yeah! @ UC Refectory,Canberra (3/2/12)

Wed 8th Feb, 2012 in Gig Reviews

A typical O-Week brings to mind tacky themes, togas, foam parties, the promise of new and exciting venereal disease – what better way to introduce a fresh crop of students to university life?
Fortunately, Friday night’s O Yeah! event at the UC Refectory did away with the gimmicks in favour of a purely fun night with some unassumingly awesome bands.
Kicking things off were ex-Canberrans Atluk with the often haunting, always dance-able brand of storytelling they’ve aptly dubbed ‘saccharine-folk’.

A cutesy folk band wearing vintage clothes and citing Belle and Sebastian as a key influence is certainly nothing new, but Atluk always manage to offer something far more substantial, and Friday night was no exception. Due in no small part to Hannah Petocz’s unnervingly beautiful voice, the band avoided melting into a sticky puddle of their own indie-sweetness and performed strongly for the slowly building crowd.

Up next were the indie-rock stylings of relative newcomers Loon Lake who leapt feet-first into an energetic performance, chatting with the audience and getting into the O-Week spirit – front man Sam even draped himself in the plastic leis that littered the stage for what I’m sure was a very good reason.
The boys gave us a set that was at once brimming with frenetic, garage band energy and an easy accompaniment to a can of beer and a bit of a bop. In the Summer in particular lured the punters away from the bar and onto the dance floor and is still running through my head even as I write this.
Loon Lake had such a good time with us that they stuck around, jumping in amongst the crowd to watch headliners and (practically) veterans, Hungry Kids of Hungary take control of the stage.

Four or five years can seem an eternity on the indie music scene, but the Hungry chaps proved they’ve lost none of their spark or performing chops as they poured everything into their poppy, fun set.
The vibrant drums on infectious classics like Wristwatch were impossible to avoid dancing to, and the bittersweet, 1960s-style vocals lent an intimacy to a performance that could easily have been lost in the cavernous space of the UC refectory.

Gigs like this, with a fairly modest crowd, drizzly weather and a bad mood on anyone with frizz-prone hair are a true test for any band, and no one on the lineup disappointed. Atluk and Loon Lake made sure everyone knew they were ones to watch, and Hungry Kids of Hungary proved themselves as natural mood elevators with a performance big enough for a stadium and intimate enough for a pub.

My only hope is that summer turns up soon and tempts more people out to more UCLive gigs – they seem to be on a roll these days.