Casino Rumblers, Wiseacre, TheResignators, Bad Moon Company@ The Zoo, 03/11/2006

Mon 13th Nov, 2006 in Gig Reviews

Wiseacre are one of the stalwarts of the Brisbane ska/punk scene, and they have been going from strength to strength since releasing their debut album Step Up earlier this year. Tonight they joined some bands from Melbourne and Sydney for a top night of Brass, Bass and Arse at the Zoo, even if not many people came out to see it.

Opening proceedings were local Brisbane three piece Bad Moon Company. Comprised of a guitar, drums and a double bass, their lineup sounds reminiscent of another punk trio, but these guys are a little more varied, mixing up punk with some dancey swing numbers. The songs are simple, and big on hooks, with lots of “woah”s thrown into the lyrics. These young punksters are a little timid at first, but soon they are all getting into the full swing of things, even if there’s not much of a crowd to spur them on. Unfortunately, sound problems, including regular feedback screeches, plague the entire set, and some punters even begin to shake their heads at the troubles. If Bad Moon Company continues to grow in stature and confidence, they’re sure to be artists to look out for in the future.

Up next are Melbourne six piece The Resignators. Their horn section brings the funk and ska melodies and experienced frontman Francis “Madball” keeps the intensity up with an active performance. For the middle stretch of the set, the band slows it right down, cruising through a couple of low key reggae numbers, but in doing so they lose most of their momentum – the small crowd is here to dance. Of course, any set can be recovered with some crazy covers, and The Resignators aim to please, ripping out an awesome version of 60’s swing tune Rockin’ Robin, and then closing the set with one of their own tunes, which morphs mid-song into a cover of The Police’s Message In A Bottle. It’s an excellent way to sign off a good set, and Melbournians would do well to check out this skilled ska band.

The La Lola Salon Dancers are scheduled to perform between the acts, but it’s just a single dancer, doing a quick burlesque striptease performance. She dances well, but she probably could have done with some company up on stage.

It’s not clear why Wiseacre aren’t performing last, after all its their home crowd. By this time the Zoo has filled up to about a third of its capacity, but as they rip into opener Don’t Techno (For An Answer), the area directly in front of the stage becomes a seething mass of smiling, skanking bodies. Wiseacre have come a long way since I saw them last, none more so than lead singer Jimmy, who handles his trumpet in one hand, and mic in the other, never once looking like losing control of either. These Brisbane legends do ripper versions of album tracks Kiss The Night Away and Talking To Myself, but it’s the one-two punch of Yeah You!, the first single from the album, and classic hit Let’s Go Bowling which send the crowd into a thrashing frenzy. Its clear this band is playing in front of a crowd that holds them in high esteem, and instrumental track Kung Fu Attack Of The One Legged Moonwalkers gives guitarist Tim Harro a chance to shine. They close out this rocking set with album opener Right-e-o, and from the cheers, its clear this crowd can’t wait to catch their favourite band again soon, despite this being Wiseacre’s last show for the year.

The La Lola Salon dancer makes another appearance between sets, this time with a chair-based dance, but it still looks a little lonely up there on stage, all alone.

Sydney’s Casino Rumblers are the closing act for the night, and they have big shoes to fill, coming straight after the home town heroes. Unfortunately, they can’t quite get the crowd going, and some of the people have headed home after Wiseacre. But this 5-piece don’t let it get them down, as they rush through a set of songs from their new album, See How It’s Gonna End. Brand New Cadillac and Brain Smasher are definite set highlights, and the tempo change in the middle of Wake Up is handled with smooth aplomb. Even though the Rumblers aren’t quite getting as much of a crowd reaction as they are looking for, some dedicated fans are still down the front, skanking away and loving every minute of it. It’s a solid conclusion to a rocking night where the home bands definitely carried away the victory, but ska music was the real winner.