The night that I had spent months waiting for had arrived. Wolf & Cub were in Perth, playing my beloved Amplifier Bar and I was ready to be blown away, just like I had when I first saw them at this year’s Big Day Out. According to the band, that was one of the worst gigs they had ever played. I find that hard to believe.

Sugar Army were on first. I hadn’t seen or heard them before, but what I had heard about them was nothing short of great. A band that is raved about that much had to be good, right? Wrong! Their intro left a weird feeling in my stomach and that feeling didn’t disperse until they left the stage. I don’t know what it was. Maybe it was because they weren’t as tight as the jeans they were wearing, or maybe it was their offbeat dance moves. The punters didn’t seem too keen on them either, as there were more people outside than there were in.

Next up were Streetlight. I had seen this band a couple of weeks ago supporting another talked-up Perth band. They seemed to have too many people on stage that night and while I hoped that it was how small the stage was that they seemed scattered, it wasn’t. Lead singer Ben Van Grootel thinks he’s Cedric Bixler (At the Drive-in, The Mars Volta) in the making. It’s not surprising that when most people talk about them they mention that they resemble an At the Drive-in cover band, only much much worse.

Close your eyes and let the music of Wolf & Cub transport you to another dimension as they run through yet another blistering set. For a band that has managed to sell out every gig on their current Australian tour, it’s quite amazing that more people haven’t  heard of them. I am still greeted with the same blank stares when I mention their name that I was when I mentioned them among my highlights of this year’s Big Day Out. Why is it that the most popular Australian bands (the ones that have been heard of across the globe) are the ones that least deserve it? Here is a brilliant band that deserves every inch of recognition they get plus more. Maybe now that they’ve signed to 4AD (home of Pixies and TV On the Radio) that step is just around the corner.

They run through a long, sex fuelled set featuring old songs (Thousand Cuts, Steal Their Gold) as well as new (Rozalia Beware, This Mess, Vessels, March of Clouds). It wasn’t surprising that every person in the front row was female and that the place was chock-a-block full. There’s something about a band with two drummers that makes my knees go weak. There’s always the criticism that it’s a gimmick thing, but it’s not. Gimmicks are for bands that need something to take your mind off of their music. Wolf & Cub definitely don’t need that deterrence.

The sonic assault of the guitars delivered to us by Joel Byrne and Thom Mayhew feeding off the drums and that little hint of Byrne’s vocal pays off exceedingly well. Music, like art, is subjective. Most of the band thinks they’re crap but it’s obvious to anyone that without these members the band wouldn’t be half as good as they are. The chemistry and tightness between the members of Wolf & Cub is something a lot of bands strive for. And when you’re onto a good thing, you should stick with it.

Their ability to take the sound that bands like Kyuss created over a decade ago, twist it around and make it their own, makes them one of the best, if not the best band in Australia. It shouldn’t be too long now before those blank stares turn into smiles and nods.