Live Review: Antelope, Runner, Lanark, Race To Your Face

A post-rock feast awaited punters as Perth's favourite post-rock instrumentalists Antelope were ripe to launch a fresh EP on Saturday night. A warm and hefty number of people had come through the door by the time Race To Your Face took command of the stage with an enticing blend of math rock-inspired instrumental work. Lanark were the next group to grace the stage and upped the ante with a lush and emotive post-rock set. New track Gambler was a welcome addition to the set, showcasing the band's knack for producing some wonderfully echo-ey atmospheric sounds, accompanied by haunting vocals – it was truly a very solid and enjoyable second set.

Runner were the penultimate performers for the night and proved they deserved that higher spot on the bill, entertaining the audience with a performance that was as tight as you could get. The group play an extremely dynamic style of post-rock, consistently boasting their impeccable sense of rhythm particularly considering the larger number of people in the band – it did, in fact, work to their advantage, with harmonies executed with grace and precision and all in all, confirming the band's musical strength and ability.

Finally, it was time for Antelope. By the time they faced the crowd, it had extended back to the Bakery's bar and was bumper-to-bumper. As it was their EP launch, we were treated to some new material that displayed the band's signature style of expressive and blatant post-rock. Lead single Perennial was greeted with a familiar murmur of recognition by the crowd, but for the majority of the set the audience remained relatively silent, allowing themselves to be soaked with the sheer imagery created by the guitarists' clear, driving riffs and the fierce drumming. The band are ambassadors for instrumental music in the local scene and nationwide, and Saturday night's performance was ample proof as to why that is so. Here's to hoping the band continues to make music together for a long time yet.