Somewhere in Wilson
Saturday, March 10th, 2013
Needing no excuse to bring together some awesome bands and throw a sweet shindig, the boys from Chilling Winston curated this punky house party with some of the finest in fun and heavy acts from around Australia. Transforming their unassuming suburban back yard into a wicked venue for a explosive series of floor shows, swathes of well (enough) behaved music lovers made their way in the back gate for South By South Wilson.
Them Sharks were the first to rock the annex with their crisp and well considered progressions, getting the early crowd bouncing to their punk oriented, reggae laden style. Some raw energy was up next from the Suburban And Coke lads who pumped out their up-tempo and slightly grungy tunes with a profound energy.
Chilling Winston weren’t far behind and managed to draw a neck snapping line between melodic and destructive. Making for superlative drinking music, the whole room was nodding in unison. Monuments hit the floor next with a particularly hard edge tempered by lush and rhythmical punk stylings, they were masters of nonchalance amid the rugged and explosive music.
The pace quickened as Flowermouth continued the epic parade of top tier music. There were some ridiculously powerful compositions from these boys and there was a feeling of genuine emotion coming through in their song writing – some of the most beautiful heaviness you’re likely to witness. The fun summery vibes of Axe Girl kept the music coming relentlessly. These cats earn the ear worm award for their bouncy track Give Me Your Tee Shirt which has had constant rotation in my head since, aided by the rip-your-heart-out cuteness and vocal prowess of lead singer Addison Axe.
The Decline entered and despite their name, the room became thick with rockers as their catchy yet hugely technical style whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Apart From This kept the vibes high with their waves of grunt accented by powerful pinch harmonics and a good lashing of swing.
Wild eyed and ready to smash the house down, The Bennies, who are currently touring nationally, put on a damn good show to close the night. They hit the room and immediately dropped an awesomely dubby, rocksteady sound with a hefty dose of punk sensibility. Lead man Anty Horgan laced immaculate synth lines while displaying inhuman energy. Songs praising a certain plant with mystical properties ran alongside tunes that were pure celebrations of freedom which one could argue encompasses exactly what this style of music is all about.
The crowd was happy, the smiles were wide and the vegan burgers were flowing freely. The music was perfect, the beer was cold and the sun was grinning like a maniac. This event was without a doubt a perfect example of what can happen when passion, ability and a whole lot of love reach a point of culmination. If you’ve got a heart and a mind for an amazing party, keep your eye out for the next instalment of South By South Wilson.
JAMES HANLON
