Live Review: Thee Oh Sees, Boomgates, Nobunny & East Link

On entering the Hi-Fi we are welcomed with the sight of four guitarists – backs turned to the small crowd that has assembled. Their eyes are fixed on Al Montfort who is knocking out a simple drum pattern while putting the rest of his energy into his vocals. They seem unsure when to finish their set but East Link eventually launch into a noisy closer that fits nicely with the ethos of the night.

Justin Champlin appears on stage in his usual half-arsed rabbit attire as Nobunny. Apparently he and his band of mild-mannered, West Coast punks have just got off the plane but their set certainly doesn't lag. Their sound sits firmly in the Ramones' tradition, tongue-in-cheek but surprisingly inviting.

Once Brendan Huntley finishes rearranging microphones, Boomgates get their set underway. A string of excellent shows in recent memory stands them in good stead for the night, but the punters don't really come alive until they play Layman's Terms. The highlight though is finale, Whispering Or Singing; picking up the tempo that won't relax again for the remainder of the night.

With John Dwyer's acrylic-bodied guitar jacked up high, Thee Oh Sees launch into a ferocious set. From the first burst of noise, the crowd has situated themselves in their preferred positions. Those who are content to rock-out introspectively form a horseshoe around a frenetic pack of punters in need of urgent energy release. The band doesn't disappoint them. Dwyer manipulates his whole body around his guitar, moving effortlessly from captivating psych licks to full-blown distorted jams. As he drives the lightning tempos from front and centre, drummer Mike Shoun holds an expression of intense concentration, only broken to wince at the poor technique of the stage divers. His solo that leads into Contraption/Soul Desert is a lesson in controlled power. He is ably supported by Petey Dammit, who merges the roles of bass and rhythm guitar to create a relentless platform for Dwyer's playing. Standing behind the band, both in the mix and physically, Brigid Dawson brings a lighter shade of melody to the vocals of Dwyer, which is invaluable to the band's sound.

The San Fran outfit manage to demand full attention for a set that extends well over an hour. Punters react joyously as each new song is struck up, with The Dream and Lupine Dominus going down particularly well. When a band make it near impossible to single out the high points, you know they've killed it.