The Tote hosts some bloody good rock’n’roll shows, everybody knows that. With high expectations of them and no doubt a lot of excitement within them, Chelsea Bleach took the stage and delivered an incredible show. Following Cable Ties is never an easy act, but with their scuzzy punk and rock tunes and a healthy dose of oh-shit-this-could-fall-apart DIY attitude, they pulled of a performance worthy of the main stage in the revered Tote bandroom.
Apart from being the launch of Chelsea Bleach’s new EP Decent Connections, the night was a celebration of inclusivity, community and acceptance, with themes of gender, inequality and pride woven into every set. The lineup supported these ideas of inclusivity of community, with the melodic and dense Palm Springs followed by hip hop/RnB duo Kandere, and ultimate rockdogs Cable Ties leading into Chelsea Bleach.
The inclusion of Kandere seemed out of place at first, but by the end of the first song they had everyone convinced. Playing half-ambient, half-trap hip hop with often distorted or mangled vocals – think the last half of Kanye’s Runaway – they certainly brought something completely different to the show, and more than validated their spot on the bill.
Although Cable Ties started slowly, they did work into their set well, and were able to prove why they’ve earned such a passionate following. They rolled through an angry and heavy set complete with an anti-The Man monologue in the final song (“I am not a production unit/I am a human being/and sometimes I don’t make sense.”) Clear highlight of the set was Same For Me, a song which never fails to get the crowd going.
That left only the headliners to play, and in true Chelsea Bleach style it was a rollicking, never quite perfect set played with as much enthusiasm as one could possibly pack in. For such a young band there is an incredible range of diversity in the songs on their EP, and even more so in their live set. The clear standout of the show was Daydreams, the bouncing, sliding fuzz-pop number, complete with tempo change and multiple guitar solos. They closed their set with Shedding Skin, the opening number off Decent Connections, and undoubtedly their best song, and it was a fitting end to an incredibly well curated show.
Highlight: The inter-band love affair between Chelsea Bleach and Cable Ties
Lowlight: None
Crowd favourite: Jenny McK
By Elijah Hawkins
