Live Review: Damian Cowell's Disco Machine, The Bertie Page Clinic, Ariel

Young trio Ariel proffer a relatively solemn brand of moody indie rock to open proceedings, before local funsters The Bertie Page Clinic grab tonight’s disco motif by the horns with their matching sequined ensembles (complete with bunny ears).

Their classic rock sound is augmented by frontwoman Page’s massive vocals, the pachage engaging and theatrical as they pound through tracks like Ready To Punch Your Face and My Sister’s Friend’s Cousin From Woodridge. As they finish with a bludgeoning cover of Guns N’ Roses’ It’s So Easy, Page’s burlesque background comes to the fore with little left to the imagination by the time they finish their entertaining set.

There’s a large crowd gathered by the time that Damian Cowell’s Disco Machine start filing onstage, the two drummers on the far extremes building a precise-yet-pummelling opening salvo as they begin with 4D Printer, the fact that this is the band’s first ever show and these songs unfamiliar to most alleviated by having the lyrics on a big screen behind the band (not miles removed from what Cowell’s alma mater TISM used to do with the song titles on cardboard signs back in the day), as well as Lee Lin Chin’s huge visage which overlooks during Jesus Barista Superstar (the SBS broadcaster appearing on the band’s eponymous debut album, but only as a sample here).

There’s also remnants of TISM’s choreography, with Cowell and backup vocalists doing some interpretative dance, especially during the super-catchy Groovy Toilet (which also features next level crowd participation). As ever it’s Cowell’s adroit wordplay and rapier wit which makes this such a great experience, songs like Folk Music Turns Me Into A Fascist, Things I’ve Said In Job Interviews and I Hope You Get Laid For Christmas working on numerous levels in the live sphere. Two more violins join proceedings as a massive diatribe ushers in Epistemophobia, adding to the already full band sound and adding visual diversity as well. The “what the fuck?” refrain of Damian Cowell’s Disco Machine Part One has everyone singing along en masse, before the set proper concludes with Don’t Hector The Safety Cat and the super-insistent I’m Addicted To Moderation.

There’s a faux encore which finds the somewhat disturbing phrase “Cool for catamites” liberally bandied around, Cowell offering a solo version of his former band The DC3’s The Future Sound Of Nostalgia then segueing into a disco montage which features a snippet of TISM’s I’m Interested In Apathy amidst strange passes on YMCA, Disco Inferno and mash-ups of Shivers into Macho Man and Born To Be Alive into Creep – pretty much everything strange and fun you’d expect from the former Humphrey B. Flaubert. It’s great to have him back.