Live Review: Alpine, Clubfeet, Georgi Kay

Perth-based songstress Georgi Kay opens proceedings. As a solo act she is at odds with the big, spectacular sounds of the other bands on show tonight. Yet her music is as strong. She stares intently out at the early audience who stick to the back bar and sidewalls until the last couple of songs in her set. Her performance exerts little effort, yet the strength of her melodies and clever phrasing mean she has little need for theatrics. The final track Ipswich is particularly haunting.

Clubfeet bounce onto the stage and look ready to make this the night of our lives. They seem intent on having fun and fortunately they are able to get the large crowd onside early with their synth-heavy tropicalia sound. The band are obviously tight, with instrument swapping and call-and-response vocals coming from all five members. Yet there seems to be some kind of misplaced satirical vibe running through their songs that's difficult to latch onto. Their set ends awkwardly at the hands of a flat laptop battery.

Having weaved through Australia over the past month on their debut album tour, Alpine return home for this sold-out show. The latecomers have timed their arrival perfectly and the Corner is at capacity when the curtains open. And it's apparent the acclaimed local outfit have found wide-ranging appeal, which is demonstrated by the refreshing mix of age and gender within the room. Dual vocalists Phoebe Baker and Lou James become the stage's centrepieces while the rest of the band are happy to take up positions as background ornaments. Like their recently released album, A Is For Alpine, their set starts with a slow ambience before hitting multiple frenetic peaks. Rhythm is the driving force behind Alpine's sound. Phil Tucker plays with rabid energy on the kit while the other members consistently switch roles as the instrumental backbone. James and Baker's vocals dance around each other, sometimes coming together in melodic unison or at other times acting as further percussive elements. The unique live dynamic of Alpine has the crowd in constant fervour. Gasoline draws the greatest reaction, though Hands and Villages have a similar effect. The audience watches on as the band thrust themselves around the stage and cheer as the co-frontwomen incidentally match their choreography.

It's towards the end of their tour and the members of Alpine seem genuinely joyous playing to a home crowd once again. So many facets of Alpine are already great but there's still plenty of room to grow and experiment, which can only mean the need for a bigger venue next time 'round.