The Creases, a four-piece from Brisbane, grace the stage and create the perfect fresh faced contrast to the heavily bearded crowd before them. This is an older, veteran crowd who adhered to the beard before it was cool and unlike the majority of venues in Melbourne there is not a topknot in sight. After arriving onstage almost 20 minutes late, the boys are quick to thank the crowd and jump into the opening song of their first gig with The Strypes. These denim clad youngsters with cracking hair prove themselves to be up-and-coming in their game, switching instruments in the manner of seven-year-olds playing musical chairs at a birthday party.
With a hell-of-a-lot of whimsy comes their debut single I Won’t Wait followed by Static Lines, complete with sufficient guitar distortion and a rumble of appreciation from the crowd. With these boys next to be seen gadding about at Splendour in the Grass, the potential is clear and the music catchy, creating the perfect atmosphere for The Strypes.
One short stint in the smoking area later and the NSC is packed and writhing with an audibly enthusiastic audience. The velvet curtains finally part and the Irish stand before us. The sunglasses-clad Ross Farrelly on lead vocals is embracing the inner Noel Gallagher but the venue is so dark it’s likely he will be googling the solution to night blindness first thing in the morning. Pete O’Hanlon is more than a little accomplished on bass and also plays a mean blues harmonica later on in the set. As they smash out such hits as Blue Collar Jane, What A Shame and You Can’t Judge A Book By the Cover, it’s undeniable: them boys be ruddy talented and they certainly do not fuck about with their aggressive and loud “sorry, not sorry” sound as they proceed to melt your face and leave you wondering what the devil happened to your eardrums.
Who needs to hear the sweet mutterings of their child’s first words anyway? The precision of Evan Walsh’s racing drum beats and glare of Josh McClorey’s white skinnies hypnotise the crowd as they belt out She’s So Fine with impeccable guitar and Farrelly’s blues harmonica rings supreme. It’s all too heated in here as McClorey deploys solo after solo that sends the crowd a little giddy. With the oldest not yet 19, it would be easy to underestimate this gang of four but their old school rhythm and blues sound is powerful with no holes barred. Covering songs by the likes of Bo Diddley and The Specials, it’s easy to see where their impressive array of influences come from, but it’s the encore where the real treat lies as The Ramones’ Rock Away Beach blows the audiences remaining bits of brain into the air conditioning vents to be redistributed at a later date. Job well done.
BY ROSEMARY ANSTEAD
Loved: The middle-aged woman who wondered aloud if The Strypes were “legal”.
Hated: That McClorey didn’t once change his piece of chewing gum.
Drank: Cider – apparently a pint of wine is a no go.
