Camp Cope
The Opener
Poison City Records
In a very short space of time, Melbourne trio Camp Cope have become an important voice with their youthful honesty and aggression. The melodic yet punk rock rooted outfit are at the forefront of the #ItTakesOne campaign, which set about making gigs a safer place by combatting assaults and harassment at live shows. In a similar vein, the band tackle toxic masculinity head on with The Opener – the first single from their upcoming album How To Socialise And Make Friends.
In the post-Weinstein world of entertainment, the band tackle the issue of sexism head on. The Opener begins by tackling the lack of respect in personal relationships (“Treat them like queens until they disagree/And never reflect to think ‘wait, maybe the problem was me'”) before turning its attack to the same issue that presents itself to the all female group in the ‘professional’ environment.
Georgia Maq’s delivery becomes more caustic as the song progresses, particularly through the lament of “It’s another all-male tour preaching equality/ It’s another straight cis man who knows more about this than me,” before offering the retort of a band who are comfortable in achieving success their own way.
Other than the tune’s strong message, the other high point is another dexterous bass line from Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich, who is fast becoming the best proponent of the instrument Australian punk.
Camp Cope continue to be able to deliver a heartfelt message, while drawing the listener in with energetic slices of rock. It bodes well for their next record and beyond.
CHRIS HAVERCROFT
