Live Review: A Not So Silent Night

An onslaught of live music awaited punters at the Rosemount for the venue's last big hoorah before New Year's Eve. Two stage set-ups – the 'naughty' floor stage and 'nice' main stage meant that there was hardly any delay time between bands. Heath Legend kicked things off at the naughty stage with an intense punk/hardcore set, before Echo Kid warmed up the nice stage managed to retain the energy levels of the audience while entertaining us with a smooth blend of indie-rock. Back to the naughty stage and the all-girl punk quartet The Shakeys were one of the highlights of the day, working us into a head-banging frenzy, providing some incredibly catchy hooks and memorable lyrics. Weezer cover band Budweezer had the audience swooning with nostalgia as the group smashed out some of the biggest hits from the power pop-rock legends.

The Trigger Jackets were one of the 'lighter' groups to perform on the naughty stage, but they compensated for it with a tight, well-rehearsed and fierce blend of dirty stoner rock. Catherine Traicos & The Starry Night really slowed things down with a bluesy alt-folk combo, then PUCK melted faces off with one of the most abrasive and impressive performances of the night. Usurper of Modern Medicine countered the vibe set by toe previous group with an intricate electronic-rock experience, before fan-favourites FOAM packed out a great portion of the venue busting out a set that had punters almost falling over backwards. Rock 'n roll grit and grimers The Devil Rides Out provided a blistering set filled with garage-like urgency that had people in the crowd going absolutely nuts, before The Love Junkies closed out the evening in fine style with their sexy-cool approach to fiery, fuzzy grunge rock. Many ears were ringing by the end of what was an enjoyable evening, and we'll all be hoping the bands who played that evening have a super busy live schedule planned for next year.