So often the best gigs are those featuring artists you have not previously heard. With the yolk of expectation significantly diluted, you can sit back and imbibe the sights and sounds, and so it was tonight.
For reasons that are largely irrelevant to the matter at hand, we arrived at the Northcote Social Club midway through two-piece Ross de Chene Hurricanes’ set. The average two-piece has a tendency to search the already ravaged posterior of rock’n’roll for new orifices to tear; but Ross de Chene Hurricanes chose instead to explore Stems and Sunnyboys-style power-pop sensibility – and more than enough to warrant a second look when logistics avail.
Familiarity certainly isn’t an issue with Kim Salmon. Salmon has been around for what seems an eternity, at least in the context of Australia’s relatively short punk-rock history. With the erstwhile and eclectic Mike Stranges in tow, Salmon tore through his equivalent of a hits-and-memories set: a selection of choice Scientists tracks (Drop Out, Frantic Romantic, Pissed On Another Planet, Last Night, We Had Love), some Surrealists (Fix Me Up, Rose Coloured Windscreens) and the odd recent track (Pearls Before Swine). We’ve seen it all before, and it never, ever tires.
A friend whose musical knowledge and assessment is largely impervious to criticism had recommended seeing Obits – the garage rock outfit formed by the Hot Snakes’ Rick Froberg in the aftermath of the Hot Snakes’ demise. Froberg looks every inch the New York garage-rocker: rake-thin, matted straight hair, t-shirt and jeans fashion sensibility de rigueur in those hallowed parts. The set begins with Light Sweet Crude, Sud and Pine On, and there’s palpable love in the air. Like so many bands of yore and now, Obits have been touched by the hand of The Stooges; three-chord rockers, attitude in spades and plenty of freak-out moments to sink your teeth into. Later on, there’s a blend of Radio Birdman’s disciplined chic and The Dandy Warhols’ psychedelic power-pop; when Widow Of My Dreams appears, there’s much rejoicing.
The obligatory end-of-set ritual dispensed with, the evening concludes with One Piece Cross. The perverse beauty of rock’n’roll lies in its naked plagiaristic quality – it’s all the same, and the best of it is so damn good. And that was Obits tonight.
BY PATRICK EMERY
LOVED: The Dandy Birdman/Radio Warhols moment.
HATED: Hmmm, not anything, really.
DRANK: Goat in a bottle.
