Live Review: World's End Press, Young Franco, Zaped

Thrash dancing our way through an electro-infused set from World's End Press at Black Bear Lodge (still the Valley's best kept secret) seems like the perfect alternative to mushy Valentine's Day plans. Upstairs, it's an intimate and dimly lit space that hums with conversation, where the stuffed moose head mounted on the wall both surprises and delights. The show had been promoted as “one for the lovers”, and support acts Zaped and Young Franco deliver on this promise with lush, ambient sounds that get the mood right.

At tables towards the back, turning heads and hushed voices begin to recognise the headliners nearby. There they sit, sipping at their drinks nonchalantly, un-tucked shirts adding to their awkward charisma and overwhelming sense of cool. It is only moments before World's End Press are due to start when they leave to prep the stage, meanwhile the venue has filled considerably. Gin and tonics in hand, couples migrate to the front just in time to catch the opening chords. Immersed in a rich and atmospheric reverb, the steady bass line and head-banging tempo of To Send Our Love is extended as vocalist John Parkinson uses the breaks in-between verses to jump around animatedly. In fact, every member of the band is moving in some way to emphasise the beat, so much so, that transitions between songs go largely unnoticed. This energetic display transfers to the crowd until soon there are flailing limbs in every direction. To put it mildly, the '80s synth-pop is well received. On a number of occasions Parkinson raises his arms in a musical offering to us, the throbbing mass of appreciative fans. That Was A Loving House and latest single Drag Me Home are among crowd favourites as well as Reformation Age which is an unexpected hit prompting falsetto singalongs and plenty more bopping. There is a brief musical interlude during the set when they pause to catch their breath, but otherwise they are an unstoppable force, never failing to remind the crowd to “dance [their] arses off!” Their performance is dynamic and self-assured, culminating in an insatiable groove. Back by popular demand, the group's encore sees them revisit some older material with a rousing rendition of Second Day Uptown, the song that shot them to triple j Unearthed acclaim. Maybe there really is love in the air, or more realistically, perhaps the success of the show can be attributed to World's End Press' intoxicating energy. A memorable and impressive showcase of what four guys from Melbourne can do, tonight bodes well for future visits to our parts.