Live Review: DZ Deathrays, Damn Terran

Damn Terran back-announce a song and this reviewer realises there's been mispronunciation, and perhaps even misplaced emphasis, where this band name is concerned up until this point. Ali E and Lachlan Ewbank's guitar chords one-up each other with Leigh Ewbank's drum frenzy acting as metronomic referee. Rebels sounds particularly vibrant tonight, but with Shane Parsons observing from the front stalls, we wonder why he's not summoned to the stage to perform his guest vocals on Pills. When it comes to unison stop-starting and shambolic time signatures that suddenly lock into synchronicity, Damn Terran are where it's at.

Acting as their own roadies, DZ Deathrays set up their gear and hang a couple of Draculas theatre restaurant-inspired vampire puppets to act as backdrop. With 'D' spray-painted on one, 'Z' on the other, both marionettes feature red flashing eyes and limited zombie-like movement (one appears to be low on battery). Mötley Crüe's Kickstart My Heart plays out in full to get us in the mood and eager punters migrate into the moshpit. As Parsons and his other musical half, drummer Simon Ridley, take their places on either side of the stage, there's a gaping hole in the centre. Cops/Capacity as opener ensures shit gets brutal straight up and the pit sways violently, testing the reflexes and push-back skills of those on the outskirts. After lurching over foldback wedges for three songs straight, a decision is made to retreat to the top of the stairs. Parsons is on fire and when a smoke machine is activated, you'd swear his fierce guitar chops caused him to smoulder. Some of DZ's loops take on a Crystal Castles intensity these days.

The centre-stage vacuum is quickly filled by attention-seeking audience members who clamber up and dance badly for as long as possible. When one of the security guards that bookend the performance space makes a move inwards, that's their cue to dive back into the careening mob. Many crowd-surfers are repeat offenders who are more concerned with their own activities than what's happening on stage. Some slam uncoordinatedly into Ridley's cymbals on their way past and one steals Parsons' setlist. It all starts to feel like they're filming a scene from Skins in here, with the band providing background for the 'character' development.

A new song is being premiered this tour and it's vicious and snarling, egging on the throng.

Gebbie Street (yeah, you know the one. It goes: “Your eyes like diamonds [something-something]/You know our bodies make the right conversation”) acts as starting klaxon for extreme stage invasion and Parsons' mic is knocked from its stand. Ridley wisely launches into a drum solo to fill the sonic void, but it's ages before we hear Parsons' vocal again. Although no one else in the crowd really seems to notice.

We can see Parsons positioned offstage right, so an encore is hardly surprising. A chant goes up: “One. More. Song! One. More.Song!” This is granted. Parsons plays guitar proficiently while crowd-surfing, but the fact that a punter drops in on his wave strengthens the argument that DZ Deathrays need to reclaim ownership of their stage. The duo's music and musicianship are way too good to be in the background while Generation My pull focus. At least it's too turbulent for said Teenage Kickstarts to take selfies!