Perhaps if circumstances were different, this kind of happening would lead me to throw my bra onstage, or something equally as gratuitous and liberating. But I don’t wear a bra. So I was forced to first stand in shock, then lean close to the speakers, then drink the beer which the bassist handed to me (While onstage) and then, finally, lose any semblance of sanity in the mosh pit.
Simply put, Money For Rope deserved as much from me. The band sounds tight and well-arranged on record, but when the six of them step onstage, they attain the kind of musical synergy that sometimes even the greats fail to find. Like the first time you’re punched in the face, the sting and sheer volume they put forth has staying power. From the two drum assault to the gritty and angular guitar work, Money For Rope delivered a set so comprehensive and relentless that one would be forgiven for forgetting that they were celebrating the release of their third 7″ single, I’ve Had Days. The time for these guys to put out a full-length is now. But to actually get Money For Rope, picking up a ticket to catch them live is even more pivotal.
Relying less on witty stage banter and showy antics, instead the band kept their long-haired heads down (or, swayed them violently as it were) and, to use a sporting term, “grinded it out.”There is nothing cautious about Money For Rope’s live approach. Perhaps standing at the back of the room and taking detailed notes would have been the more “professional” thing to do. But then, as a rock and roll fan first and foremost, I wouldn’t have been doing my job.
BY JOSHUA KLOKE
LOVED: That the ringing in my ears took two days to disappear.
HATED: When the band walked offstage.
DRANK: The above-mentioned bottle of Melbourne Bitter from bassist Michael Cini, amongst many more.
