Live Review: Pale Waves, AViVA

It's a bit weird having the support act kick-off at 4.30 in the afternoon for this early show. It doesn't stop the eager fans though, who have lined up around the block to secure a spot as close to the stage as possible. It's an all-ages gig so the bar is closed but there's plenty of free water and lollies to give us the sugar-high we need. Some punters even have party hats and horns so it suddenly feels like a children's birthday party.

AViVA packs a punch with her bold style and bright turmeric-coloured hair. She entrances us with her dark and euphoric pop-punk sound and connects with the audience as she intensely stares across the room while moving around like a robotic zombie. There's a great sonic production going on between the crashing guitars and intense drumming that's wrapped around catchy choruses delivered with a confident attitude. AViVa takes us down the rabbit hole into her conceptual dystopian world to empower listeners.

It's fitting that the venue plays a soundtrack from Paramore, Chvrches and The 1975 to keep the crowd's energy alive during the changeover. Pale Waves are a relatively new group that you will love if you're a fan of these bands. There's a bit of an anti-climactic false start as an epic instrumental build-up fizzles out and fans begin to wonder what's going on for another few minutes. They quickly restart and emerge from the darkness with their shimmering indie banger Television Romance. Frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie removes her hoodie and shakes her black hair out over her face to reveal heavy gothic makeup. The British four-piece defy their dark appearance with a contrasting hybrid of sweet, upbeat '80s pop, that instantly hook us in with contagiously funky guitar riffs, reverb-soaked synths and compelling choruses. 

With only an EP and a couple of other songs released so far, their setlist for these debut Australian shows is a short but enticing introduction to local fans. They share their latest single Noises and an unheard song about being 18 and in love, which Baron-Gracie teases is off their upcoming album without giving any further details about its expected release date. So far all their songs are fairly consistent, with a similar structure of jangly guitars and interchangeable chorus patterns, but it seems as if they've mastered this undeniably likeable formula, which is quickly becoming a new obsession for nostalgic lovers of revival sounds. Judging by what they've shared with us so far, their debut LP is something to be very excited about.