Ground Components, The Gingers@ The Oxford Tavern Wollongong(11/10/06)

Thu 12th Oct, 2006 in Gig Reviews

With the volume cranked well past eleven, passers-by the Oxford Tavern would’ve been well within their rights to think that demolition work was taking place on a balmy Wednesday night, an impression that would no doubt be capped off by the torn-throat vocals to come.

Those inside knew the truth, though. Holding bottles and glasses like they might bounce away, a goodly crowd had gathered to revel in the musical explosion that is Ground Components.

In classically shambolic fashion, it took more than an hour for the support act, Melbourne three-piece The Gingers, to take the stage, but none of the crowd seemed too concerned at the delay. Once the all-girl act did take the stage, conversation ceased: not necessarily because of the jaw-dropping talent of The Gingers, but more likely due to the punishing volume that eradicated all other sound.

Pop-punk power chords smashed out of guitarist Nellie’s Rickenbacker, matched punch for punch by the fierce bass work of Chelsea and backed up by the forceful drummer of sticks-woman Etta. Strutting and swaggering like she was playing the Hordern instead of a local pub, Chelsea spat every line like her life depended on it. Comparisons to another all-girl punk band, the Spazzys, are inevitable, but the Gingers offer a level of passion and fire beyond what the Spazzys had to offer. Though they tended towards a fairly protypical punk sound, their work is attention-grabbing nonetheless.

It didn’t take long for Melbourne’s Ground Components to take the stage, not wasting any time on formalities. Tongue firmly in cheek, frontman and guitarist Joe McGuigan informed the assembled crowd that “This is a Wolfmother song” before the four-piece exploded into a decidedly un-Wolfmother sounding track. Though the influence of late-60s/early-70s rock was evident, the sharp edge to their sound, coupled with a wilder sensibility, left none wondering if this was an avant-garde cover of White Unicorn.

Living up to every promise made by their debut LP An Eye for a Brow, a Tooth for a Pick (surely a solid contender for title of the year), Ground Components rattled, bellowed and exploded through the Triple J favourite On Your Living Room Floor, and showed their (comparatively) mellow side with the Against Me!-esque Our Sunshine.

Though the band’s sound bears a decidedly violent edge, burning with unrestrained aggression in McGuigan’s throat-tearing, there is a persistent sense of vitality and joy that underscores every song. Precision is not necessarily discarded, but it obviously comes a distant second to the visceral passion that goes into every beat, note and howl. Dallas Paxton even manages to throw himself into the act of playing the keyboard, which is a difficult thing to achieve.

Late in the set, McGuigan disposed of both his guitar and shirt, transforming into an Iggy Pop-like figure, writhing and spasming with renewed vigour. Less flexible than Pop, McGuigan  nevertheless channels the spirit of the great man, moving and jerking in such improvised and chaotic movements that it’s a wonder he didn’t knock himself unconscious twice a song.

The response from the crowd was unalloyed approval, and with good cause: in spite of the more modest scenery, it seemed as though Ground Components were striding an arena stage before thousands, such was the level of commitment and force to the show, and all delivered with such normality that it seemed second nature. An incendiary night of pure rock explosion, gloriously devoid of pretension and built entirely on balls, sweat and love for the art.