Live Review: Camp Cope, Hannahband, If I Were A Boy

An unsung benefit of sickness riddling a lead singer too unwell to perform is the promise of a make-up show, in a similar vein to the bonus round of Melbourne trio Camp Cope's recent Australia tour.

Adelaide was served a hearty dish of thrashy rock goodness this Saturday afternoon in the vibey beer garden of the Exeter, along with a few other local gems kicking off the weekend's antics. 

The mesmerising notes of an acoustic guitar rang out as If I Were A Boy were dished out as the polite appetiser. The clever and honest songwriting was refreshing and relatable for the largely 20-something crowd, addressing issues of relationships and life in general. 

Then best-friend duo Hannahband came on, bringing their noisy garage rock in yelly and cynical fashion. It was an appealing blend of pub rock and existential crises, and despite the lead singer's broken rib the two-piece managed to play their entire album from start to finish, a hearty effort.

"Can all the men in the audience make an effort to move back and let the women move forwards?" was Georgia Maq's opening line as Camp Cope took the stage with their raspy air. Opening with track Gone, the band carrying about with them a sense of a group just getting started. Their punchy lyrics and tight rhythmic harmonies have already built an impressive fan base, and with the musical potential they have in front of them, it's no question just how far they can go.

Their rawness spilling over the beer garden and invading eardrums.

Arguably one of the most important acts to explode onto the music scene this year, the band pepper their punky sound with inescapable messages and take advantage of the position they hold in order to drill basic life lessons into people's heads. Jet Fuel Can't Melt Steel Beams is met with punching fists and overall agreeance with the lyrical content. Their thoughtful sound translates perfectly live, the rawness spilling over the beer garden and vindictively invading eardrums so much that there's no escape. Ending with Lost (Season One), the band are met with tumultuous applause and admiration.

The Poison City Records newbies have plenty of room to grow, and with such a promising launch to their career, no amount of jet fuel will be able to melt these steel beams.