Resisting the obvious baseball quips (ie. “Home Run!” Pronounced in a similar tone to Mark Holden’s “Touchdown!”), Victoria’s Baseball delivered a scorching set in front of a salivating crowd at Amplifier Bar. Taking to the stage in board shorts and a faded blue Bond’s sing-o, lead vocalist and violinist Thick Passage had the crowd mesmerised not only by his shabby appearance but more importantly by his ability to wail on the violin and his vocal chords in unison while leading his band through a strong set of percussive post-punk pearlers.
Jasmine Loop Control opened the night and filled the bar with ambience as the punters were still rolling in and filling the space. The band played a brooding and ambling brand of melodic post-rock which saw band members exchange instruments several times during their set. At times they left the crowd spellbound but at other times they missed the mark slightly and didn’t always build on the promise that some songs showed.
Up next were Streetlight - a band rapidly climbing the rungs of the local ladder. On the night they were battling a power failure with some guitar pedals. While the band shared a few bronx laughs on stage it was a shame for most as some sections of the band’s music were exposed for their reliance on effects. Conversely, it gave the opportunity for a few of their guitar melodies, which are normally shrouded in eerie effects, to shine out for their musical quality. The set climaxed with closing track The Departure. Some heavy drumming, jarring guitars and expressive vocals were enough to make up for what was not as polished of a set as can normally be expected from Streetlight.
Schvendes took to the stage next, and their haunting and diverse sound impressed the growing and appreciative crowd. Their sound took shape as Rachael Dease’s piercing vocals mesh with the moody-bluesy keys of Tara John and the warmth of Tristen Parr’s cello. One thing is for certain - this band is certainly doing their own thing, highlighted by their confidence in playing an alternative version of their single Twice the Man. The band showed why they are recognised as one of Perth’s most promising and original bands, something rewarded recently with an invitation to the prestigious Canadian Music Week later this year. But while their unique sound is their greatest strength, it can also be their downfall at times, alienating audiences.
Headlining the stage, all the way from Victoria, Baseball put an interesting spin on instrumentation in a rock band. With two female members who rotate between playing bass and drums and Thick Passage’s remarkable ability of being able to scream his lungs out and play his violin at the same time this band has a lot of talent going around. Evelyn Morris’s turbulent drumming was exhilarating, and along with the atmospheric screeching of the violin, a vital element of the band’s cyclonic sound. She Makes Cookies, The Enemy Has Many Forms and Soft Boy Factory were all highlights of a strong set. The only downfall of the band’s set was that it seemed to linger on a little, perhaps due to the band’s decision to play some older material at the end of their set after some more recently written tunes.
As Baseball closed out their set, punters began rolling into Amplifier, fuelled by the aphrodisiac of rock and roll, from a costume party at Club Capitol next door. And I’m willing to bet that more than a few would have made it past first base come the end of the night.
