Burning Love tore up The Bendigo Hotel on Friday, supported by local acts Urns and Pity Scissor. A six-pack of pre-beers and a missed taxi caused your humble reviewer to miss Urns, which I’m actually quite gutted about. I’ve heard some awesome demo recordings and some good words. Shit.
Pity Scissor numbed my first-band-missing pain, mixing things up with their brand of chaotic, groovy post-hardcore. In the vein of Daughters and Blood Brothers, they stamped out a solid set that had half the crowd bopping along and half asking themselves what the fuck was going on. They put on a great show with huge amounts of energy and attitude. Their drummer was particularly awesome, driving the set with punchy grooves, tight blast beats and innovative fills. You’d get tired just watching her right hand smash out those 8th notes on the hats, damn. Two guitarists layered biting riffs (one throwing around a pretty dope looking Rickenbacker), while a dirty bass tone and some appropriately weird ambient noises were provided by a synth. The sound levels weren’t perfect, distorting and getting too loud at times, but these guys were solid.
Chris Colohan adds undeniable value to any band he’s part of. His brooding energy and clear passion for his words held Burning Love’s performance together, providing substance beneath the style. While it felt like most of the crowd at this show would have killed to see Cursed, Burning Love certainly isn’t a downgrade no matter how you slice it. They soaked the crowd with their thick, low, heavy tunes, evenly selected from across their releases but leaning heavily on recent tracks from Rotten Thing To Say (Southern Lord).
A highlight of the set was Karla, Colohan raucously screaming the usually melodic vocal lines of the bridge in a way that was raw and powerful but controlled enough to add musical value to the song. The faster, angry Hateful Comforts forced the crowd to move, and they pressed on with those infamous chunky blues-rock riffs and bashed mid-tempo drums. The bass provided enough rhythm and fullness in the lows to carry the sound through the solo-heavy numbers, and the sound levels as a whole were perfect for these dudes. It was amazing just how ‘together’ they sound as a live band.
This was a great night, but for a reason that I can’t put my finger on, it didn’t feel quite like a hardcore show should. Maybe it was that this was Burning Love’s last show of an extensive tour, maybe it was the slightly small crowd that just didn’t go mental enough, but there was something lacking. Regardless of this slightly jaded atmosphere, Burning Love were tight, loud and energetic, and delivered the dirty hardcore blues they promised.
BY JEREMY MILLAR
Loved: Seeing a NZ tattooist’s tag in the toilets (RHAT KLOR!).
Hated: that the room wasn’t packed.
Drank: pre-beers and jugs.
