Live Review: Cabins, Desert Sea

Tucked away on the roof of one of Manly's most notorious hotels, The Steyne, The Rum & Cider Moonshine bar opened up like a dark saloon, fitted out with incredible acoustics and rowdy punters. Desert Sea opened the night's festivities and performed an aggressive set with '90s-styled gritty vocals and wailing guitar.

Although they tried to find their sound, the incessant chatting between songs seemed awkward, but they made up for it with their falsetto interludes.

On the other end of the spectrum, Cabins were very well aware of their sound, aesthetic and energy. Leroy Bressington, the vocalist, was the image of a young Kurt Cobain as he growled into the mic with a similar apathy. This was contrasted with screaming guitar licks while the bass from the sharply dressed Jack Doran provided the rich backbone to the set.

Their set went from strength to strength. Their sound transformed as a mesh of genres came forth from dreamscape-styled grunge to deep blues. Vocals from guitarist and backing vocalist Dan Brooks and Bressington exuded an effortless cool that seemed to compliment the band's screeching guitar work. It was as if the harshness from the instruments were falling softly onto a breathy cloud of vocals.

Their cover of Edward Collins' A Girl like You seemed pleasantly sadistic. The guitar stayed true to the original while seeming a little denser and more seductive. The vocals retained the grit of the band while the percussion from Brin Hinchcliffe exhibited an intensity so ferocious it almost formed into determined rage.

“This one is like a waltz,” crooned Bressington to introduce their song, In Blue. There was a 1950s, Roy Orbison charm to this track as the drums beat along and the guitar created a rippling effect that echoed throughout the venue.

To finish off their phenomenal set, they dared to cover Bob Dylan. In My Time Of Dyin' was the track, an evolution of blues guitar and grunge. The percussion exploded out of nowhere, launching this final song onto another level. As the instruments all clashed together in organised anarchy, Cabins proved why they had the goods to set The Steyne alight.