City Limits @ Badlands
Saturday, March 2, 2019
Badlands showcased their best line up yet for the third annual City Limits festival.
NEW TALK had an unrelenting performance. The quartet exhibited a tapestry of wall-to-wall punk, fronted by the exceedingly talented Kiera Owen. She put on one of the evening’s finest vocal performances, while the band enchanted the room with their unique chord progressions and thunderous drumming. This was one of the most atmospheric sets of the evening, with the tracks Red Tuesday, Pissy Flow and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter captivating the audience.
The psychedelic art-punk group Tropical Fuck Storm had a chaotic set, putting on a great show without over-saturating their Drones’ back catalogue. Gareth Liddiard’s unhinged vocal performance, accompanied by the band’s cerebral instrumentation, created a tense and exhilarating mood throughout.
Custard were entertaining as always. Their popular cuts Anatomically Correct, Hit Song and Music is Crap were the highlights of what was a very enjoyable performance.
To the surprise of nobody, DZ Deathrays had a blistering set. The crowd cathartically sang along with Shane Parsons to the tracks Gina Works at Hearts, Blood On My Leather and Like People, barely showing any signs of fatigue for the entire hour. Whenever DZ Deathrays are in town, they’re quick to remind us why they’ve been at the forefront of Australia’s post-punk revival for over a decade now.
Regurgitator were the headline attraction of the evening and frankly, after 25-years in the game, they haven’t slowed down at all. They were sonically diverse, their stage presence was captivating and from a technical standpoint, and really they were flawless. Ben and Quan frequently swapped lead vocals and alternated instruments throughout the set, putting their musical talent on full display. Witnessing them effortlessly combine the coolest elements of electronica, alternative rock, hip hop and synth in the flesh was legitimately awesome. Also, the enthusiasm of the group never once ceased, which is both wonderful and rare for a band that’s been around for such a long time.
City Limits felt like one of the most consistent and accessible festivals to grace Perth in 2019. The venue was set up perfectly, the vibes were great and all of the artists lived up to their high expectations.
HARRISON JONES
