Live Review: Sugar Army, Usurper Of Modern Medicine, Methyl Ethel, Dream Rimmy

Dream Rimmy are the cream of the crop in the new wave of young bands making their way onto the local scene, their thick, hazy shoegaze rock catchy and instantly recognisable, reminiscent of early Brian Jonestown Massacre and even a little bit of Silversun Pickups. The group just released an EP last week, and the two tracks they played from it on Saturday night, Otherside and Sunshine, were definite highlights. If you haven’t heard them already, get onto it now. 

Methyl Ethel stripped things back a little but still maintained a real dreamy vibe, Jake Webb’s undeniably Aussie twang cutting through the air and bringing in a bunch of punters from the courtyard. By the time Usurper Of Modern Medicine took to the stage, the venue had people lining up outside to get in. As it wasn’t their show, crowd numbers trickled away during the band’s set, many probably not expecting the onslaught of sound from the band’s signature quirky samples, glitches and synthesisers. The band still killed it though – Steve Hughes was commanding and full of energy with guitar in hand. Really, they were a great booster in spirits for the headlining act.

It’s been 14 months since Sugar Army last played a show in Perth, and it was obvious just how much people have missed the once hugely prominent locals – the venue was packed out by the time the lads got in front of the mics and their clear intention was to show that they’ve still got plenty left in the tank. They took us back to 2009 with Building Castles, a track from their first full-length release, and then a few more recognisable tunes had people with phones in the air trying to record some of the action, but most importantly, the band were there to showcase some new gems. “It’s great to be playing in Perth again, it’s been a fucking long time,” vocalist Patrick McLaughlin explained. “We’ve just recorded our new album and we’ve got some new tracks to play.” If anything more can be said about what the band brought to us that evening – thumping guitar lines, catchy hooks and that signature Sugar Army sound – we’ve got a lot to look forward to.