‘Sweat box’ would be an appropriate term to describe Royal Headache’s sold out show at the John Curtin. It was a scorching day, the giant fans in the room weren’t cutting it and punters just had to suck up the fact that their appendages would stick to each other should they dare touch. People seemed unfazed though, happy to forget their sweaty troubles by keeping the cold beer flowing.
Although only a handful of people were in attendance for openers Deep Heat’s set, they were all clearly there to see the band and took up position at the front of the stage. Deep Heat sit comfortably somewhere between the Wipers, X (LA) and Sleater Kinney, gang vocals abound in the call and response format while pounding drums and intertwining guitars create a sense of frenetic determination.
Notorious for playing ball-breakingly loud, tonight Zond continued to perpetuate that reputation. As their name suggests there is something ominous and mysterious about this band and their sound is hard to pin point. With elements of shoe gaze, grunge and noise, at times the band sounds like a dark and more sinister Sonic Youth but quickly shake off this comparison as they veer off into more obscure territory. Whatever it is that Zond do, tonight their abrasive wall of sound had the John Curtin crowd mesmerised.
It was now synth punk outfit Nun’s turn to make some noise. Front woman Jenny Branagan leads the pulsating synth driven attack of her band, exacting her vocals with anxiety-driven intensity. Her vocal style sounds something akin to Ari Up and Siouxsie Sioux thrown into a blender. Nun’s sound is dark, danceable and hypnotic.
Declaring he was under the influence of certain love-inducing illicit substances (which he claimed were not giving the desired effect) front man Shogun showed no signs of falling into a mushy heap as the band broke into what would be a short and sweet set. Newish track You Get Me High was a fitting opener, followed on by favourite Really In Love which inspired the beginning of a surge of crowd surfing that lasted for the entire set. Bodies were flailing as the band tore through Down The Lane, Girls and Eloise. Royal Headache play the kind of music you can’t help but want to move to – vocal melodies that are instantly familiar in their reference of soulful pop groups from the ’60s conveyed with an erratic punk energy. Drawing to a close far too quickly with Pity and Surprise, Royal Headache’s short set was infused with enough of the good stuff to leave the crowd sweaty and satisfied. A quickie but a goodie.
BY KRYSTAL MAYNARD
LOVED: Crowd surfing starting a song two.
HATED: Feeling sticky.
DRANK: Life-giving liquids.
