The location was announced before the gig via a viral Facebook promotion. Undoubtedly the heavy rain kept the softcocks away, but the offer of free beer (yes!) holds a lot of sway and when I arrive around 9 the house is filled to the brim with hipsters excited to catch up with TFVK, who have been pretty quiet on the live scene since spending most of last year wrapping up their debut album. The clip, for new song For You And Me, is played against the living room wall at about half-nine, with punters chugging back Melbourne Bitter longnecks and revelling in the velvety, Beatles-esque blues rock of the song. The clip itself is laid-back and very Melbourne, showing the four lads jamming, getting pissed, eating mandatory kebabs. It’s a high-quality production in lovely muted colours and a great song choice.
The crown agrees, and when the lads take the stage at around half-ten (the ‘stage’ being some mics and a PA crashed together in the microscopic living room), everyone is pumped. The bath, filled with Melbournes, has been satisfyingly depleted and everyone is having a grand old time. Opener and crowd favourite Alright Now Honey has the room, and the entire house, swaying as one, and now the house really is packed: people are spilling out doors and windows. I start in the living room and end up in the kitchen, then the backyard, then peering in the bathroom window (access to the free beer plus a view of the living room). The boys are playing well, with frontman Sean Ainsworth’s whiny vocal and the lead guitar being particular highlights. They’re relaxed and on-form despite the crowd literally being right on top of them. For You And Me comes about half-way through the set, and has a sandpaper edge suiting the grimy nature of this live performance.
Closer Giant rocks the crowd out the way a closer should. Not only is it great to see such a tight, quality Melbourne band back playing live, it’s almost cooler to see the way they’ve gone about it. The location gives the gig a homely, intimate feel that a venue would never come close to emanating. TFVK might have bribed us with free beer, but we stay for the rock, which is all fucking class.
