Live Review: Pat Chow, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Silver Hills

A last-minute addition of Pat Chow saw an all-local line-up at Jack Rabbit Slim's Saturday night show, a showcase of some of Perth's best up-and-coming grunge and psychedelic bands.

The night started slowly, with dream-pop group, Silver Hills, lazily drifting through their bright, upbeat songs. Looking like they'd stepped out of a time machine, the band effortlessly showcased their smooth, psychedelic sound that's almost 40 years too late. Pretty guitar riffs and piercing synth solos filled the echoey room, drawing a small crowd that ebbed and flowed with the music. Silver Hills floated through tracks like Sunsets On The West Coast, infectious tunes that with some fine-tuning could take them to higher places.

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets shifted the atmosphere from laid-back to face-melting with their heavier take on psychedelic sounds. The band captivated crowds during The Big Splash band competition where they came second, which still assured they'd be cemented as the next big thing to come out of Perth. Each song offered something completely different, varying between soft, delicate sounds and bone-breaking guitar riffs. A thick bass line stuck in your chest as the band crashed through their set, forcing the crowd to keep up with their peculiar tempo. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets enchanted everyone in the room with such a unique and experimental sound that at times seemed like it had been plucked out of another world.

Despite being the headliners, the crowd seemed to disperse for grunge rockers Pat Chow. As they smashed into the title track from their debut release, Good Deed, there seemed to be a lack of energy in the cavernous venue, with people hanging around the edge of the dance floor. Fuzzy guitar riffs, a sticky bass and crashing drums eventually brought the crowd forward during Underwater Daughter, a cheerful and playful track that saw heads bopping along. Pat Chow drifted through each track, lacking any major impact, with frontman Ben Protasiewicz having to ask for the crowd to make more noise. They seemed to finally get into the swing of it for their last track, Benchwarmer, Protasiewicz ditching his guitar and jumping off stage, getting right up in the faces of fans. Perhaps until Pat Chow's fan base grows, smaller, more intimate shows suit them better, where their face-melting sound can pack much more of a punch.