Live Review: Frenzal Rhomb, Tikdoff, Leeches

Chips, beer, footy and punk – what more could you possibly want from a Saturday night? Anticipation levels were even higher than usual as punters were given the opportunity to see one of Australia's most prominent punk acts following lead vocalist Jason Whalley's battle with a tapeworm in his brain, which required surgery. Even better still was the gig's location; The Rosemount does a better job than most at setting the scene for a big night and as such, as Leeches took to the stage in front of a crowd reeking with enthusiasm, showcasing a blend of thrash rock reminiscent of the '80s skate-punk movement. The three-piece were tight and well-rehearsed despite the nature of their sound; a chaotic mess of intensity that has you wanting to scream along with them. The guys were great to watch, and with a 7” on the verge of release, as well as an album on the way, they're certainly an act to keep a keen eye on.

Following up from the impressive openers were Tikdoff, no doubt performing with a tonne of confidence having just released a new album last month. The five-piece put on a strong performance, sounding raw, gutsy and loud as all hell. It was great to see the crowd deciding to get involved too; space being formed close to the front of stage for daring punters to throw themselves around in, of which many took part. Thankfully it was all in good taste, and we all felt that the performance had given us all the warming up we needed in preparation for the headliners.

The half an hour wait between bands saw an influx on people to the venue; a shame in one sense that so many had missed out on the successful previous acts, but it was great to see that Frenzal Rhomb had generated another sold-out performance. I doubt there was anybody in the audience unfamiliar with the ways of a Frenzal show, and from the moment the first note was struck, chaos erupted with jumping, knocking and screaming from the ecstatic audience. I was knocked down on several occasions, but such is the beauty of passionate crowds that I was immediately pulled to my feet to rejoin the crowd in their collective quest to pump out as much sweat as possible. Frenzal's bursting, catchy-as-all-fuck punk tunes worked a treat, with plenty of fan favourites such as Johnny Ramone Was In A Fucking Good Band But He Was A Cunt, Mummy Doesn't Know You're A Nazi, Racist and Bucket Bong, but unfortunately the set was short-lived, the band only playing for 50 minutes. It's difficult to complain about that, though; it was loud, rowdy and good old fashioned drunken fun. Just a typical Frenzal Rhomb show!