Ah PBS, the station to hear forgotten recordings of weed-chuffing jazz flautists, advertisements for what’s on at The Spotted Mallard and, of course, plenty of good-to-great local acts. All this week, the station invited listeners into the studio for the annual Drive Live sessions. Presented by the Fang It! program, today we gathered around a studio window, with cold beer in hand, to catch Power, Kim and Leanne and Ausmuteants.
Power are an unashamed rock’n’roll trio. But unfortunately their hard rock throwback is neither a menace to the planet nor the rock’n’roll construct. And that’s what lets it down.
Kim Salmon’s been involved in enough projects over the years to fill this entire page. He’s not resting on his laurels though, as shown by today’s offering, the recently founded Kim and Leanne. Salmon’s never been a spectacular singer or guitarist, nor has he pretended to be. Rather, his greatest asset is the way he attacks songs, be they aggressive or brittle. Salmon must be pushing 60, but he hasn’t lost touch with his gnarly punk rock proclivity. Even through a limited viewing porthole, and speakers awkwardly placed at the other side of the room, Kim and Leanne dished out some proper inspiration.
On paper, Ausmuteants possess very little appeal. However, the five-piece – featuring two videogame-channeling keyboardists – are always a buzz. The studio setting didn’t dampen their energy and many songs appeared to be motored by dangerous amounts of Red Bull. As ever, the crux of the band’s head-shaving energy was frontman Jake Robertson, who convulsed and pulled silly faces as he sang, while the rest of the band looked like they were missing fifth period.
The live broadcast scenario did make it hard to get swept up in the band’s onslaught, so the performance lacked a bit of potency. However, this is a relative criticism. The band are of genuinely subversive intent, and at that they largely succeeded.
BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
Loved: PBS.
Hated: PBR.
Drank: Cooper’s.
