Photo by Daniel Grant
Laurel Fixation/ Shit Narnia/ Fabian Rojas/ Hideous Sun Demon/ Doctopus/ Foam
Mojos Bar
Thursday, April 17, 2014
A small crowd gathered in the intimate setting of Mojos for the release of an EP by local band Catbrush. Catbrush burst onto the scene in 2012 and have been embraced by the Perth crowd. The band, having forged strong relations with old and new acts alike, celebrated their latest triumph with a little help from their friends.
Laurel Fixation began the night with gentle lyrics grounded in harsh reality. Her beautiful voice rang loud and true. Shit Narnia changed the tune with teenage angst personified in a rock ‘n’ roll format. Songs like I Was A Teenage Atheist set a frantic pace, with lead singer Hugh Manning owning the stage. This Albany group are relative newcomers, but have an energy that have seen them feature in numerous backyard gigs and will earn them a place as featured regulars.
In the beer garden, Fabian Rojas began his set with quiet murmurings. Some technical faults detracted from the set but overall it was a strong performance. Inside, Hideous Sun Demon upped the antics with head banging aplenty. Relying on a strong ’90s aesthetic, the band drew comparisons to Nirvana from the crowd with many commenting on the strong resemblance between Hideous Sun Demon’s lead singer and Kurt Cobain. With an aggressive sound assisted by heavy distortion, the band gave it their all. There is some room for improvement but their zealous energy is sure to get them places.
Doctopus began the second half of the night with an infectious rush. The lo-fi band got people moving and having fun. Raw lyrics intertwined with angry beats, Doctopus like to have a shout about shitty friends and Stephen Fry while getting things upbeat. They’re all about having a good time with minimum effort. Foam stormed the stage next with desperate beats and zealous energy. Treading the line between vicious punk and surfer tunes, the band delivered on their solid reputation as a strong live band. Influenced by the alternative rock boom of the late ’80s/ early ’90s, Foam sample a sound that has become a fast favourite, with the long haired rockers getting their grunge on.
The night ended with the much-anticipated Catbrush. Illustrating how inbred Perth is becoming, lead singer Ellen Oosterbaan thanked the previous acts while commenting on various EP launches they have performed together on. The crowd that consisted mostly of said acts roared energetically in response. With the audience enthralled, the group burst into song and began some serious hair whipping. There is no denying that Catbrush are good, delivering almost flawless song after song. Concentrating on the role of engendered sexuality and violence in the lived experienced, the group is reminiscent of the past riot grrl movement while living in the now. Yet there are times when their songs could be more refined and enunciated so that their lyrics can actually be heard. Finishing up their act close to midnight, Catbrush were sure to leave their audience dreaming of punks with attitude, with a set defined by raw strength and the need for a good time.
LAUREN WISZNIEWSKI
