Live Review: Gyroscope, The Scotch Of St James, Boston & Chevy

Saying the road to Gyroscope's sold-out show at the Rosemount on Saturday night was one paved with trouble would be an understatement. The show – originally scheduled for June as a benefit to raise funds for burns victim Dana Vulin – had to be rescheduled after guitarist Zoran Trivic was involved in a motorcycle accident that broke both of his legs.

A packed-out venue early into the evening signaled that everyone was ready to give Trivic and co. a huge welcome back to the stage after their six month break. Easing punters into the night was the laid back, acoustic sounds of Boston & Chevy. The husband and wife duo, consisting of Warren and Amy Page, took turns at lead vocals, allowing each member to shine. They realise that less is sometimes more, and have utilised that to its full effect.

With a thumbs-up from frontman Paver Pickins to the sound desk, The Scotch Of Saint James began a set that bridged the gap between the ambient, laid-back openers and the intensely energetic headliners that were to follow. With guitars dripping in warped, reverbed effects, tight harmonies and erratic song structures, they executed a tight performance that few local acts could match.

A causal “what's up?” from a sprightly Trivic and the opening riff of Don't Look Now But I Think I'm Sweating Blood drew everyone inside, transforming the beer garden into a wasteland inhabited by the few punters who missed out on tickets and smokers. Gyroscope were back in the saddle and had six months worth of energy to unleash.

Frontman Daniel Sanders may have looked more tame than usual – he's done away with the mullet, jeans and polo – but screaming relentlessly into the mic from the get-go proved otherwise. It became clear during their set that the show would be their last in quite a while – drummer Rob Nassif is moving to New York for an unspecified amount of time.

It wasn't until late in the set did Sanders finally venture into the crowd like he usually does. “Who touched his balls? Someone did,” bassist Brad Campbell queried upon Sanders arrival back to centre stage. Closers Doctor Doctor, Baby, I'm Getting Better and Snakeskin showed that their time away from the stage hadn't tarnished their live show one bit, and an encore of Nirvana's Territorial Pissings provided a memorable burst of energy to a set that hopefully won't be the band's last.