Flossy Being Alone launch @ Lucy’s Love Shack
w/ Moth, Tether
Friday, August 30, 2019
Perth rock star sisters Flossy seem to be having a bit of a moment and at the launch for their single Being Alone at Lucy’s Love Shack last Friday it was clear to see why. The underground venue was packed out to see this rock trio before they jet-set over to Brisbane for the BIGSOUND festival.
The first support act for Flossy was alt-pop four-piece Tether. Their snapping drums, winding guitars and shadowy synths folded together to produce a dark and enchanting sound which captivated the extras mulling about within Lucy’s and had everyone in a trance. Their track Empty Spaces which came out earlier this year surged with emotion and felt like a powerful attack on the crowd. Tether also played their latest release Heartless (out September 13), which is already getting love on Triple J. A track with grittier guitars, and a heavier focus on the drums, Heartless brought to mind the sounds of Canadian rock band Metric. Tether were heavy on the synth, heavy on the guitars, and heavy on the sound filling out all the empty spaces in the venue as they put on an excellent performance.
The second artist up to bat was Moth, a three-piece band of rolling alt-rock with a tight sound and lots of emotion who’ve been writing and performing since 2014. Their tracks were full and playful, and the band’s sharp crushing guitar and vocals seemed to crunch. The trio played a few songs from their latest EP, which was released earlier this year, such as Pilot, a pretty song with guitar bends that proved psychological, and bleeding drums that hung over the track. The cheerful nature of the band members’ performances creates an atmosphere of enjoyment whilst their lyrics paint a graphically truthful image of the arduous nature of navigating relationships and growing up. The sincere harmonies of their track No More TV concluded the band’s set on a flashy, potent note.
Flossy’s rushing guitars and sliding vocals bit into the crowd with their opening song Holiday the soundtrack to the well-known sensation of wanting to get away from your own life and go on “some kind of holiday”. The wall of noise produced by the three-piece consisting of sisters Sinead and Lauren O’Hara and drummer Charlie Smith is a serious playful rock that pleases the senses. Their voices grew into a mashing of symphonies and angst which reflected off the disco bowl hung precariously to the left of the stage.
Lucy’s provided the perfect background to Flossy’s 90s-influenced feminist grunge rock, which sparkled with attitude through droll lyrics like “she may be a quiet girl but her mind’s a riot”, on their 2018 track Quiet Girl, Riot Girl. Sinead and Lauren introduced their latest release with a cheeky and charming line “it’s about being alone and enjoying it”. The deep bass and hefty drums hollowed out the air within the venue and their reverbed vocals were like sirens.
And it turned out the O’Hara sisters were hiding away a third talented sibling. Ashley O’Hara joined them on stage to do a cover of American musicians HAIM, a rather astute choice since HAIM also consists of three talented sisters. As the band shuffled off stage winding down their performance, a well-deserving gush for an encore landed them back on stage for one final blow.
EMMA PEET
Photos by Anthony Jackson
