Beddy Rays @ Freo.Social
w/ TOWNS, Pot Plant House Party, Sunny Day
Friday, August 26, 2022
Following their recent self-titled debut LP, expectations were high for Beddy Rays’ Freo.Social leg of their national tour last Friday night. With local WA supports Sunny Day, Pot Plant House Party and Radelaide support TOWNS, something just felt good about the night. Good times were expected, and good times were had.
Local outfit Sunny Day kicked things off for the night with some upbeat indie folk welcoming punters on arrival. It was a short but engaging set of mellow movement-inducing songs that left the crowd wanting more. A taste of their soon-to-be-released debut single Don’t Wanna Go Home, due to be dropped on September 7, was something to keep an eye and ear out for – hopefully with an LP not too far beyond that.
Deliciously riffy locals Pot Plant House Party kicked off with aural slayer Late Night Science Fiction, instantly fuelling the mosh vibes. They slipped into the slower Junkie, from their 2018 self-titled EP, before playing the recently-released Hollow from their upcoming debut LP. Giving off a sick Violent Soho vibe with some Rage Against the Machine sounding guitar work thrown in, if tonight’s anything to go by, there’s high expectations for that debut.
Safe In Your Skin took an interesting spin with toned down instrumentals giving emphasis to the somewhat emotive vocal verses. Periods of heavy drums and guitar between verses formed head-banging barriers, yet maintained a seamless transition between moments of mellow and rage. Another EP throwback followed with Hard to Find, before the crowd-engaging Time Machine, which had the audience quickly tagging along to the chorus. They closed with strong finisher Orbit to a crowd still wanting more.
Adelaide duo TOWNS came to WA to make a point, and that they did. With rapid-fire riffs and a carefree punk-rock attitude, they went off like dynamite. Opening with Boring, both their sound and performance was a reminiscent mashup of early DZ Deathrays gigs with some old school Blink 182 thrown in, delivered with monstrous beats and in-your-face vocals that fuelled the mosh.
“This song’s about love and shit” preceded nostalgic punk earworm 98 before they kicked into the equally enduring Swimming and the hooky and infectious Season 5 (Break My Fall). The slow brew of mellowed-down Bleach provided a small period of quiet in its opening, allowing the crowd to get a quick breather before things got heavier again midway.
Seemingly out of nowhere, their absolutely killer Smash Mouth’s All Star cover got the entire crowd singing along. They maintained the mellowed poppy tone of the original to begin with, before adding their own heavier touch which increased as the song progressed into a total headbanger. It was a similar approach to the heavy build-up in I Don’t Mind and closer Safe to Stay, both emphasising guitar intricacies during periods of toned down drums. For the sound this guitar and drum duo was pumping out, you can only imagine what aural insanity would prevail with the potential addition of a bass in the mix.
As Beddy Rays took to the stage, there was an instant feel good injection that continued from opener to encore. As the band smashed through their debut, plus a couple of extra treats, the night only got better, as the crowed was overcome by the aural high from a highly addictive dose of Beddy Rays.
After a quick acknowledgement of the Wadjuk traditional owners of the land tonight’s gig took place, they kicked things off with Coffee Stops. The upbeat riffs and breezy vocals flowed though into Week on Repeat which yielded a dope singalong from the crowd. Body movement was soon compulsory as infectious feel good vibes took over. With no sign of slowing down they jumped strait into Feels Nice before a tasty treat with LP gem, Ashtray. There’s just something about that song that hits all the right spots.
After polling the crowd’s preference for dogs or cats, they then rolled into the chaotic feel-good Wait a While which, from crowd contribution, was a favourite. That sing-along followed though into FOTU, at which point the struggle to maintain beer in your glass with the uncontrollable music-fuelled movement was real. The safest option was to just cheers the person next to you and drink up.
With the onset of total banger On My Own, it was evident the crowd engagement was going to extend to every song played. Clearly Beddy Rays had been on repeat for a lot of people the past week and it was flowing though their veins. Total thrasher Sort It Out took things up enough notches during its short but hectic duration to damage the ceiling, and likely some nearby heritage buildings.
Down tempo acoustic Brin’s Song, an emotive dedication to Van Issum’s late sister Brinley, brought a near silence to the crowd as purple (her favourite colour) dimly lit the audience. There was then a seamless transition into Handful which brought back crowd input as the party vibes intensified again. Guitarist Lewis’ “favourite fucking drink in the world” and undeniable party starter Milk flowed into 2017 throwback Coming Home before jumping back to the LP’s Easy Man.
Throwing in their gnarly cover of Thema Plum’s iconic Better In Blak, kicking off hard before backing it down into a chilled melody, it’s hard to favour original or cover. A mini Toto Hold the Line and AC/DC Highway to Hell mashup lead into anthemic Sobercaster, which went as hard as expected with chorus “I wanna spend my lifetime, drinking beers in the sunshine” surely heard beyond venue walls as the band finished up. The usual “one more song” chants brought them back with 2020 release Better Weather and penultimate LP track and thrasher Good With Bad to close on a total high.
For anyone who’d had a rather average week, this gig was just what was needed to freshen things up. Something about it felt like a new beginning, and what better way to kick things off than simply having a good time with mates and listening to great Australian music. Beddy Rays are all about mateship, embracing the good times and just being there for each other. Tonight’s gig and everyone who attended seemed to embrace that entirely. Let’s hope a return isn’t far off.
RYAN ELLIS
Photos by Nicola Robb
