Live Review: Hoodoo Gurus, HITS, Mick Medew & The Mesmerisers, Fat, The Skeletones, Goldstool

4ZZZ's Joint Effort was originally held in the '70s at the Zed's first location on the UQ campus and aimed to affordably showcase great bands. Last year saw its return with Painters & Dockers and Cosmic Psychos. This year there is even more to celebrate, with Brisbane's premier community radio station turning 40.

Held at the tail-end of the annual Radiothon subscription drive, the show boasts six Australian bands and a sold out crowd of excited punters. Locals Goldstool kick things off and the chockers crowd rocks out to their signature garage-punk stylings. Next up are Brisbane veterans The Skeletones, who have a blast playing their upbeat ska-punk tunes. Singer Shaun McGrath asks the crowd if they remember "when you were young, and didn't have any little kids, or big kids, or responsibilities". He urges them to feel that way again tonight, and his enthusiasm is infectious. Fat are next to take the stage, and play solid, noisy, punk that keeps the crowd revved up. And then we have Mick Medew & The Mesmerisers, who play a handful of songs from Medew's Screaming Tribesmen discography, including classic rockers Date With A Vampyre and Igloo, transporting the audience to the 1980s. Newer Mesmerisers songs are also played, and stand just as strong. Medew and the band absolutely kill it, paying fine tribute to Zed's mid-life crisis. Local favourites HITS take the stage to wild applause, and are as solid as ever. Playing hits (it couldn't be helped) off debut Living With You Is Killing Me as well as latest album Hikikomori, HITS go off, like the Loose Cannons they sing about. They've mastered the blending of chaotic energy with a tight performance and tonight is no exception.

And finally there are the Hoodoo Gurus. Long-time Hoodoos drummer Mark Kingsmill was recently replaced with Nik Reith (of Celibate Rifles, Radio Birdman, and New Christs fame), and syncs in perfectly with the established band.The set is dominated by old favourites, including My Girl, 1000 Miles Away and I Want You Back. Guitarist Brad Shepherd sings lead on Bring The Hoodoo Down, and though his vocals are less polished than Dave Faulkner, he has a raucous rock dynamism. The band are simultaneously note-perfect and spontaneous, and are clearly having a blast playing again in celebration of 4ZZZ. The final song of the night is Leilani, and Faulkner ad libs and builds on the original lyrics, dramatically singing "Aba, laba, laba, hut" with abandon. It's the perfect end to the night, and after its finish, punters are still ordering beers and milling around, not ready to leave. The community spirit is strong, with the 4ZZZ collection buckets filling up throughout the night, and Return Of The Joint Effort shirts seen on several crowd members. Joint Effort is a fitting name, with the audience, the bands, the bar, and 4ZZZ volunteers coming together to make this another great moment in 4ZZZ's long and rich history.