The Pinheads @ Prince of Wales, Bunbury
w/ Wash, Blistar
Friday, February 22, 2019
Gigs at the Prince of Wales are either one of two things – absolutely packed out and crazy or quiet (and still pretty crazy) so the bands were waiting with bated breath to see which way things would go but it was a Friday night so it really was anyone’s guess.
Margaret River’s own Blistar was the first band to take the stage with Head On, Salem and Chest Fear. They have a sound that is reminiscent of the early days of Nirvana and even though there weren’t many people out at this stage, they played as if they were playing to a big crowd. If they can stay focused and play as much as possible, these guys have the sound to make people sit up and notice.
Next up was Wash and they leaped straight into their performance with Blastoid, The Raza and Pipe Bomb. The best way to describe their songs is to take all the good old-school punk bands like The Clash, Dead Kennedy’s, Iggy and The Stooges, The Ramones and The Cramps – mix it all up with a healthy dose of modern rock and you will come close to how they sound. They’ve made it their own while sounding so familiar. They don’t know how to stand still on stage and it all adds up to an excellent and energetic performance. The only bad thing about their set was that there still weren’t many people there to witness it.
Here in the west, The Pinheads aren’t as well known but they are starting to get a reputation for their crazy performances so those that were there were looking forward to seeing them. They started their set with Fight or Flight, Wildfire and On and On. From the minute they started, you could see why they are building a name for themselves based on their live performances.
Of course, a frenetic live performance is nothing if a band doesn’t have the sounds to back that up. It was a fear that none of us had though as lead singer Jez Player crooned into the mic and the rest of the band totally killed it. They finished their set with new song Not Like You, Girl, Innocent Crime and The Pinheads!
With any band, the natural instinct is to try and pigeonhole them into a neat little genre however, it was almost impossible with The Pinheads. They are part rock, part pop, part punk, part ball of energy and more than a part crazy. They are certainly a band that puts their heart and soul into what they do and those of us there, appreciated every moment.
They are what rock and roll needs right now. They aren’t trying to fit into any genre or any scene and are just out to have a good time and make music that makes them happy first and foremost whilst hoping that it makes others happy. While it was a shame that more people weren’t there to witness them, they are just starting to get their music out to WA. Hopefully next time, they will have the crowd they deserve.
KAREN LOWE
