Live Review: Anti Fade Showcase

CHANGES is a huge, two-day event in which the best of Melbourne's underground scene come together for musics, tech-talk and ideas. Hosted across all the classic venues in Fitzroy and Collingwood, there are some absolutely killer line-ups, including Anti Fade's showcase, which found a punk home in The Bendigo.

Ausmuteants start the night off strong with their off-kilter, high-energy punk. Synth features heavily on their tracks, and they blast through the set, yelling about Freedom Of Information and [We're] Cops, which turns out to be a theme for the night. Despite smashing through their songs like a runaway train, Ausmuteants have solidified themselves in Melbourne's punk scene by playing very well, and that's what we get tonight. They're the first support, but the whole room is packed out, and with this calibre of band playing first, it really feels like Anti Fade are showing off.

Parsnip are next, and they take to the stage in their trademark '60s aesthetic. Their completely cohesive look is only overshadowed by their amazing musicianship. While in theory a Beatles-esque band with vocals reminiscent of The 5.6.7.8's or The Raincoats could come across as gimmicky, Parsnip blow us away with their catchy-as-hell songs and tight playing. Underlying the whole thing is a definite punk influence, which gets the more mullet-y crowd members headbanging along to their faster songs.

Next we get Civic, who get real loud, real quick. It's not hard to see why, with their '70s Australiana sound that reminds us of The Saints; big, chunky riffs and energetic vocals abound. Most of the members of Civic have been playing in Melbourne's punk scene for years in different bands, like Drug Sweat and Whipper, and their experience shows — they're heaps of fun, and they own the stage. Everyone's sweaty by the time they play their last song.

Lastly, Terry headline with their own brand of modern-slacker garage rock. Again, they're somewhat of a supergroup, with members from local bands like Total Control, Dick Diver and the UV Race. Chilled-out vocals harmonise over catchy riffs as they combine punk sensibilities with post-dolewave guitar sounds and a whiff of country. It's a great combination, and the crowd responds accordingly to the headliners. There's a joyful energy in the room — Terry have a lot of die-hard fans. We get our second song for the night about cops, Start The Tape, which is full of great advice and a hilariously bratty hook. Despite their deadpan vocals, the members of Terry have fun on stage, smiling at each other throughout the songs and joking between them. That's the magic of Terry — they may superficially sound like they don't care, but their attention to detail and excellent songwriting shows that they absolutely do.