Two things are clear when standing outside The Espy on the brink of spring. Firstly, it is evident that 75 layers of clothing are no longer required and secondly, the Espy appears to be swimming in a sea of hipsters.
Early support slots from Knitting For Gran and Neighbourhood Youth are short, sharp and well received, Neighbourhood Youth in particular prove to be well worth a closer listen.
Fellow support band The Harlots are the night’s standout. From the first note it is pretty clear that this is going to be a good time as front man Tom Pitts bounces around the stage like a man possessed, his slight frame belying a gutsy, tough as nails voice. The six piece sound as sharp as they look. The Harlots single Got No Soul wins over the Friday night crowd and their perfect combination of blues and rock n roll very quickly has the crowd bumping and grinding like strippers on a $10 lap dance night.
Launching their new single Never Felt Worse, The Pretty Littles quickly transform the room from dance hall to churning mosh and before their first song is over, a crowd surfer sails overhead – impressive stuff. Lead singer Jack Parsons’ gnarled voice makes mincemeat of every song in his path and The Littles’ cover of Elvis Presley’s Hound Dog, while ambitious, is a winner. Never Felt Worse and Crofty are standouts and a welcome respite from the band’s awkward crowd banter. Having completely won over their audience, they bust out another cover and put their spin on TV On The Radio’s Wolf Like Me – always a good Friday night choice. Overall, they are sweaty, loud and incredibly progressive.
BY MADISON THOMAS
LOVED: Not freezing my tits off .
HATED: The saturation of ironic glasses/shirts/haircuts.
DRANK: Bulmers.
