It’s not worth discussing how many landmark gigs The Tote has hosted in its time, but it is worth saying that Tyrannamen played one of them last Saturday night. It was a sold-out crowd as Melbourne flew the rock’n’roll flag with boisterous pride. In fact, the front bar was full of ticketless scallywags transferring stamps from one wrist to another. All in the name if rock, of course.
Label mates, Tommy T and the Classical Mishaps raised the temperature of the room and did their snot-nosed punky thing. It strengthens the case for Cool Death Records being one of the hottest labels around. Tyrannamen gigs are few and far between, but that didn’t stop the crowd from bellowing out every chorus. Their debut album is basically six years in the making and has flown off the shelves of every record store worth its salt. It’s proof that all you need is eight tracks – all killer, no filler. Vocalist Nic Imfeld struts around onstage like some kind of possessed rock’n’roll Neanderthal. As I stare at him leading his bandmates, I easily forget that I can’t even see Chris Gray attacking his drumkit like Animal from The Muppets. Cal Walker’s melodic riffs instantly blast into every punters memory – his vocals also prove why his frontman lists him as the best backup singer he’s heard.
My Concrete, and I Can’t Read lead the way for the band’s big sing-alongs. As half the crowd belt out any and every word, the other half are smiling and dance-moshing their arses off. Diamond Ring kicks off with an intro of some of the most solid drum fills before it takes on a more soulful vibe. The track that earns the most fists in the air is I Don’t Want To Go To Jail. I feel like there’s not much of a difference between what I’m seeing/hearing to what some of our folks saw back when The Angels were shouting their way around the country way back when.
BY NAJ
LOVED: A tight AF 40 minute set.
HATED: 20cm area of floor space per person.
DRANK: Stubs and tins.
