Live Review: Lurch & Chief, Horace Bones, Pretty City

A few people are scattered about the room as Pretty City take the stage. They are impressive, particularly for an opening act. The fuzz-rock trio sound like Tame Impala with heavier riffs and deliver a strong performance, ending their set by throwing an electric guitar to the ground.

The psych-punk quartet Horace Bones are up next and quickly get the full dancefloor rockin' with hard-hitting drum beats and experimental rock riffs. They sound like a mix of Jack White, The Stooges and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. The instrumental work is tight as they flex their reverb-soaked sound and searing vocals with a captivating performance.

The red curtains draw open for Lurch & Chief as we whistle and cheer. One of the two vocalists Hayden Somerville points out that many people here tonight for the band's final-ever show are "friends and family" celebrating the music and bidding them farewell. The indie-rock sextet start things off with a long psychedelic instrumental number as long hair flails about the stage. Somerville's distinct wailing vocals and Lili Hall's yodeling blend with the indie-pop guitar work to create some extremely catchy melodies. A festival vibe spreads throughout the room with dancing, singalongs and punters climbing up on each other's shoulders. Hall proclaims that Wild & Free is their favourite song to play, but isn't one of the catchiest. The Melbourne outfit covers AIR's Sexy Boy and a punter attempts to crowdsurf but fails, landing straight on the floor.

Somerville confesses he didn't want to get sad tonight, adding he "loves everyone on stage" before playing their triple j hit We Are The Same to an adoring crowd. They finish with encore track Mother/ Father and punters climb onto the stage and dance around the six band members. Somerville and Hall, now the only visible band members due to the overcrowded stage, reach their hands out to pull even more punters up with them until the stage literally can't fit any more people. Those who remain on the floor hope that the stage doesn't cave in. Farewell, Lurch & Chief.