Live Review: Buchanan

Buchanan would be better suited to a stadium than a boatshed. Although front man Josh Simons gushed that it was the “best (and only) fucking boatshed we've ever played,” the show made clear that the Melbourne four-piece are destined for bigger things, with their sound too polished and too triumphant for the tiny rough-and-tumble pub.

The alt. rockers were scheduled for an 11pm start and almost an hour later, when they actually began, half of the audience/patrons were distracted. But it was worth the wait and when the opening chords of Act Natural rang out, it was as if they had cleared a path through the stale air and uplifted the whole vibe of the place.

Although his microphone buzzed if he sang too loud and the mix was a bit off, Simons on vocals and guitar kept spirits high as he jumped around the stage or grasped the mic with both hands, scrunching up his face as he sung. Sometimes you could see him mouthing the backing vocals with a grin on his face, revelling in the way layered tracks like Temperamentally translate so seamlessly from their new debut album, Human Spring, to the stage.

Lead guitarist Luke Shields and bassist Miles de Carteret sang beautiful on-point harmonies that added a soaring tension and release to the show and all four boys sure knew how to throw themselves across a stage, head-banging with passion to their anthemic choruses and classic guitar riffs.

Best moment goes to the band's debut single and title track, Human Spring, which they extended into an epic breakdown and ad lib at the end of the night, Simons flinging off his electric guitar and holding it by the neck, strumming up a frenzy.

A no nonsense and humble yet electric set from a band who are about to make a lot of noise, Buchanan played it cool with the mantra, “let's get on with the fucking show,” and through the cacophony of chatter and clinking schooners, they did.