On this chilly Saturday night it was a bustling and packed Tote that greeted revelers. This was the second night of celebrations for proudly underground Melbourne label Casadeldisco that has been releasing local and international punk and rock acts for ten years.
Tonight’s lineup was all about the harder edged side of Casadeldisco’s stable with The Grenadiers opening proceedings, then melodic punk legends Blueline Medic followed by New Zealanders Somerset and finally The Nation Blue headlining for what is tipped to be their only live show this year.
For me, there exists a deeply personal relationship with The Nation Blue’s music that first started back in 2001 when I saw a stodgily made film clip on Channel V’s Late Shift. In the clip three guys who looked like they had just finished tagging a skate park were thrashing and lurching as the guitarist sang “my heart is a phantom limb” with a broad Australian accent. That was the beginning of my relationship with The Nation Blue frontman Tom Lyngcoln’s confessional and at time’s confronting lyricism and vocal delivery.
The Nation Blue’s set for tonight consisted of songs from all stages of their 12 year/four album career. They opened with the ominous Exile from 2007’s Protest Songs: the song started with a slightly distracted Lyngcoln hitting the neck of his guitar with a drum stick, creating an eerie echo effect. Then slowly the song began to take form as each strum built towards the avalanche of noise that was the first verse as both Lyngcoln and bass player Matt Weston shouted together, sounding like the footy team from hell.
At the mid point of the set they performed two tracks from their 2000 debut Blueprint Modern Noise with the brutal Heart Is A Phantom Limb (Reaction Vs. Intention) and the cacophonous Higher Form. The song Higher Form has been a regular inclusion in The Nation Blue’s sets for the past 12 years and tonight the song was probably the highest impact point of the performance. It began with an achingly clean guitar riff before a head-injury worth mess of drums, bass and vocals overwhelmed and distorted what was once delicate and refined.
Tonight’s show was a wonderful and successful celebration of Melbourne’s underground rock scene and the memory of The Nation Blue’s killer set will be there long after my ears stop ringing.
BY DAN WATT
LOVED: The emotion.
HATED: The lack of moshing.
DRANK: Bass Strait.
