REVIEW: Mum & Fbi Social 'Go Here, Go There'

Friday night granted the cool Sydney folk in Kings Cross a mini festival brought to us by MUM@World Bar and FBI Social. 13 acts across three stages made for a great night! The two indie venues of pure vintage genius provided an excellent backdrop with indie kids and music lovers congregating to celebrate with a teapot in hand.

OCEANICS started the night off in the underground backroom of World Bar. The Gold Coast boys brought a special treat of indie pop rock and got the gals grooving. Fresh EPs were available from the boys, and we were more than happy to grab one.

The three piece, GUNG HO set a transient punk rock movement. Wayfarers, vintage polo shirts with skinny jeans, electric guitars and a leaking ceiling left us jaw dropped at the sheer awesomeness of the HO. By the end of the set, we were drenched, stomping in a flooded basement, but we didn’t care.

Next up was JENNY BROKE THE WINDOW. The Sydney band came with an entourage of plenty, and a full capacity room was the result. Fresh off the block, JENNY fans were able to get their cool new EP. If you missed out, then you really did miss out. Watch this space, they are headed for grand new things.

This then left me in a quick turn pike sprint to FBI Social. Getting my band love on, the security were kind to the fans of the music with their constant darting in and out.

THE SHINY BRIGHTS were a personal favourite. Not only are they Triple J-supported, but they have played alongside The Wombats, The Vines and The Grates. At 11pm, we all knew where we had to be, and that was front and centre for THE SHINY BRIGHTS. Their fun indie pop rock got us all grooving. A sweet five-piece performance was the perfect combination of funky beats meets hipster Hawaiian shirts and cool rhythmic rock. The show ended with a chorus of song, “Why don’t you love me?” Not only were they cool onstage, but they hung around to have a chat to their Sydney fans. Now that’s how cool Rad-elaidians are!

And then came KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD. With insanely heavy rifts and a gigantic stage presence of seven musicians, the audience responded positively. It is no wonder they were headlining the night. Hectic dance moves and headbanging were compulsory for this show! Escalating to full on crowd surfing, a death ring and then eventually, a whole lot of crazy, KING GIZZARD know how to make a show to remember.  It wasn’t until the band started hanging from the lighting, breaking the stage and having three or four people crowd surfing that security convened. People were kicked out, but, hey, that’s all part of the fun! If you’re not here to party, then why are you with KING GIZZARD?

The bittersweet sounds of SURES were perfectly timed after the madness of rocking KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD. Juxtaposing just how varied musical wonders can be, the young SURES were honey to our ears. Even better than expected, they blew us away with charming harmonies. With the addition of a female band member, the only female of the night, it sure was a nice treat. The roof continued to leak, we continued to sing along, and SURES continued to impress us. Being very young, it made me think, “Hey, why didn’t I just start a band to get into a nightclub?” But one thing's for sure, they were talented young musicians, with a bright future.

STEP-PANTHER were my final pick. The Sydney band started just over a year ago, and since have traveled Australia and made a kick-ass name for themselves. Their garage-grunge came at the right time and have since caused a stir amongst the Aussie music scene. The oddly paired trio were a bit of a mixed bag of rock meets dirty, torn jeans meets bad hair. STEP PANTHER’S set was to everyone’s liking.

If there were such a thing as too much great Aussie music for one night, this would be it. My brain nearly exploded from over stimulation. Fingers crossed for a round three from the guys at MUM and FBI.

Words by Mikayla Couch.