With a long weekend on the horizon, the Curtin provided a night of non-stop energy and mind-blowing mayhem. US headliners White Fang were Down Under for the first time and were shown a true Australian welcome from both the crowd and the local support.
Kicking off the night’s anarchy were local punks, Going Swimming. From fly kicks and hip twists, the four-piece sure know how to entertain. After the recent release of their debut LP, Deadtime Stories, the band were eager to showcase what they’d been working on. Going Swimming’s gritty, groovy guitar riffs, insanely fast drumming and snarling vocals got the early arrivals moving.
Next up were Lazertits. Reaffirming their no-bullshit attitude and feminist undertones, the Melbourne girl group produced some serious noise. With beers in hand and songs about Vegemite, friendship, and condom babies, Lazertits embraced and celebrated the Aussie (bogan) spirit.
The energy continued to rise as Mighty Boys took the stage. With two vocalists, two electric guitarists, two drummers and a bassist, it was bound to be chaos. No time to waste, lead singer Keats Mulligan set the band off into Casting, moving across the stage with infectious energy. Alternating between new and old tracks, Mighty Boys paid tribute to such proud Australian traditions as visits to Centrelink, playing footy and engaging in public masturbation. Whoever said ‘less is more’ hasn’t seen Mighty Boys play, because the Melbourne unit had the crowd in the palms of their sweaty, beer soaked hands.
It wasn’t long until White Fang emerged. Without hesitation, they erupted into crowd favourite, Can’t Deal With Being Real. With shirtless bodies, man buns and moustaches, the self-proclaimed idiots made an instant impression. After belting out Wrecked, Bong Rip and Waste My Time, lead singer Eric Gage called out for a round of tequila, which was followed by a quick rendition of Tequila by The Champs. Adding Sleeping Bag and Bad Boys to their set, White Fang gave us all they had, topping it all off with Elvis’s I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You.
BY PHOEBE ROBERTSON
Photo by David Harris
Loved: The dancing man at the front.
Hated: My lack of height.
Drank: Midori and coke – don’t knock it until you try it.
