On Friday, the entire Melbourne hipster conglomerate assembled, preparing to unleash indie mayhem, within The Espy for Spray ‘N’ Wipe. Performers spread across the Front Bar, Gershwin Room and Mezzanine level including The Upskirts, Drunk Mums, Friends Of Dorothy, Bossman, Red Leader, I’lls, Toucan, Strange Talk, Mary Tyler Moore, Bored Nothing, Gamegirls, The Corsairs (pictured), Sures and Dune Rats with Northeast Party House and Alison Wonderland headlining the show. To everyone’s disappointment, Oscar + Martin were not performing due to unforeseen circumstances.
Perhaps it’s because I don’t regularly indulge in this type of live music, or because I was a few years older than the median age, but the only thought running through my mind for the first two hours of the show was: crazy-ass indie kids. Bodies moved spasmodically on the dance floor in disjointed pulses, one girl poured beer through her hair and guys jumped on the stage to soar back into the audience for crowd surfing sessions. Swiftly moving between the different stage areas I quickly enjoyed the sexy brassy vocals of Toucan before heading back to the front room to listen to the A$AP Rocky Bossman had spinning on his decks. Up next on the front bar stage were Dune Rats, blasting punk/indie rock to the eager fans. With one guy decked out in a Hawaiian shirt (ultimate fashion staple), his face twisted into a drunk smile as he flipped the finger at the lead singer before he was pushed with the crowd in a sea of bodies that rocked everyone back and forth. Naturally, I steered clear of that shit. More than I could say for the poor photographer who was almost knocked out.
Northeast Party House was the only reason I subscribed myself to this chaos. Having been impressed by a quick performance I witnessed once in Sydney, I was keen to check them out again. After a mini pep talk backstage, the six-piece band appeared onstage rocking Timbs and an eclectic mix of instruments. I figured guys who flaunt construction boots in line with a cowbell had to be as good as I initially remembered. I was right. Incorporating within their music heart-pumping and syncopated funk bass lines layered soaring guitar riffs and catchy electro synths the band is primed for success, but add a mysteriously alluring lead singer and you have a glorious fucking concoction. With just the right amount of energy Zach commands the stage with a cool demeanor and delicious vocals – a combination not found all too often. Indulging our ears with unique timbres ranging from said cowbell to a tambourine and xylophone, the colourful indie palette Northeast Party House paints is by no means limited.
Alison Wonderland was up next, closing Spray ‘N’ Wipe. I’d never seen her perform but was familiar with her achieving secondplace during the She Can DJ 2011 competition. Opening with local favourite, Hermitude’s HyperParadise, her set was nothing short of astounding. Not so much a DJ as she is a talented turntablist and energetic performer, she skillfully isolated key musical components to flawlessly transition between songs. She invoked the audience to dance by encompassing a wide variety of genres, amplifying bass, accentuating grinding and industrial timbres by playing upon lo-fi/hi-fi sounds all while altering the tempo to the perfect pace. One of the best DJs I have ever seen.
BY TAMARA VOGL
Photo credit: Tony Proudfoot
LOVED: Northeast Party House and Alison Wonderland’s rendition of Khia’s My Neck.
HATED: Crazy-ass indie kids.
DRANK: Water.
