A muggy night in Melbourne, a sweaty, packed out venue in Fitzroy, and all was in readiness for a memorable night of left-of-centre Australian rock.
Myyth are a Mornington Peninsula four-piece with a very interesting sound. While first impressions are that of a rough and ready alt-punk band, they are super-tight, ultra-energetic and their vocal harmonies are to die for. Their songs are punchy as all hell and have a real At the Drive-In feel, and their short, sharp set climaxes with some on and off stage carnage. They even put their very own, unique take on a Savage Garden tune.
A happy contrast comes in the form of Sydney’s Glass Ocean. This four piece are attempting an alt-rock sound based on ambience that rocks out on occasion, rather than the other way round. On record, it works an absolute treat. The two EPs they’ve released are superb. Live, they need to get a few more shows under their belt before it truly starts to gel. Glass Ocean have no discernible harmonies, but frontman Tobias Atkins has a very strong and unique voice, as well as an interesting stage persona, with much side to side swaying and dancing. They have excellent songs (especially The Mystery, which is quite stunning), brilliant singing, and an ambient but powerful sound – they just need a little more road-grind to hone their live presentation.
Speaking of a well-honed live show, Closure in Moscow put on a typically psychedelic but electrifying set for the completely sold-out crowd. It’s fantastic to see them in a small, sweaty venue like this. They’re scintillatingly entertaining in any live setting, and with that ultra-close, in your face interaction between band and crowd only possible in such an intimate setting, their live show comes alive even more. It’s amazing how much more you can take in as a crowd member when you’re almost on top of the band. On this occasion it’s the incredible things frontman Christopher De Cinque does with his voice, both with effects and with the voice itself, and just how dextrous bassist Duncan Millar is. This was another beautiful and varied night of Aussie rock music.
LOVED: The bands and the vibe.
HATED: The weird trade-off between the high humidity outside and a too cranked air-con inside.
DRANK: Pale ale.
BY ROD WHITFIELD
