Amplifier
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Gimp masks, bare skin, sweat, a pair of homemade Adidas snap-pant bikini bottoms and beer, beer, beer – just a few of the factors that saw punters head to Amplifier last Saturday in the name of punk rock.
RTR FM, Perth’s much loved home of local and alternative sounds, got together some of WA’s best new and established acts for an evening of short, fast frivolity in the name of raising funds for the community radio station.
Now, Rubber Daddy is definitely a band with an interesting hook. What else can you say about a bunch of dudes that don fetish masks and preach ‘the message of our rubber family’ to the masses? Formed by a large collective of musicians from acts such as Shit Narnia, Mt Mountain and Kitchen People, they use a revolving live line-up to bring this concept to life. And they are nothing short of fucking captivating. Playing their demo, Flexible Healing, from cover-to-cover – their songs of latex-inspired titillation certainly did bring a wide grin, much the same way as bands like GG Allin or Cosmic Psychos do. Visceral punk rock with just the right amount of sleaze.
The Shakeys just get better and better. It was easy to see these garage punk-infused gals were loving having bassist Jess back in the band, after she took a little breather, seamlessly rolling through their set with the ‘snarl’ they have become known for. Taking a nod to the ‘70s genre classics, the punk’n’roll vibe of their sound is what hits you – solid tunes with no-nonsense lyrics that you feel in your gut.
Blackwitch have been ticking all the right boxes in Perth of late. From the South West of our state, this five-piece certainly put their money where their mouth is when it comes to ‘power’. The raw energy of these lads really drew a crowd, but they are slow-burners. Building consistently throughout their set, they let their doom-laden roots take hold and let them ride – with the pit feeling the intensity as they worked up to fever pitch.
Emu Xperts have gained an air of notoriety about them. Known for giving absolutely no-fucks, they work this tag to the hilt – fronted by the always-entertaining Blake Hate. Tonight was no different. Obviously with a few too many under their belts, songs like You Wouldn’t Like Me When I Am Sober and Conjugal Wars certainly made their mark – especially when spliced beside covers such as Cosmic Psycho’s Nice Day To Go To The Pub and Zeke’s Mystery Train. And, of course, Blake got mostly naked – using his Adidas shorts to make a ‘thong’. Many won’t be forgetting that sight anytime soon.
Skullcave offered something completely different from the usual punk ties. Reveling in a wall of sound, there was nothing better to do than to close you eyes and let this trio take you. Travelling the lines between stoner, shoegaze, noise, grunge and something much darker – each note played served a purpose. Getting lost in the experience was easy with Liam Young’s vocals serving as the only guide. Taking tracks from their recently released self-titled EP, their set was a fitting end to a diverse stream of bands who had come together to celebrate their affection for the local radio station.
JESSICA WILLOUGHBY
