Live Review: Cloud Nothings & Violent Soho

On a warm Tuesday evening in inner-city Melbourne town, it turns out that a pretty comfortable way to spend half an hour is just sitting on the floor with a bunch of like-minded folks, waiting for some kickass music. Everyone is jovial and chatting to friends, from the bar staff and their red plastic cups to the bands themselves, who can be found on the right side of the velvet rope (that is, the side that the rest of the crowd is on).

It's clear, judging by the size of the crowd as they come on at 9pm, that the secret of Violent Soho is out. They're tight as fuck, the four-piece as strong as ever. Having last seen them the best part of three years ago, it's amazing to see how the band have gelled with each other, their hard work and dedication to their craft certainly paying dividends. As the band throw down tunes from their self-titled album like Son Of Sam, Muscle Junkie and their breakout song Jesus Stole My Girlfriend, their '90s-inspired grunge rock goes down a treat with their diehard fans. It's newer tracks, though, like Neighbour Neighbour and Tinderbox, that get the hipsters in the audience together, bopping their heads in time.

From the outset, as they tune their own guitars during soundcheck, it's clear that Cleveland band Cloud Nothings are not your pretentious rockstar-filled group. No setlists and, as it will appear, no encore, leave all the traditionalists happy with the gig, and their pure mastery of their craft ensures that no one leaves Ding Dong Lounge with anything less than a smile on their face and the remnants of a beer on their shirt.

Opening with Fall In and throwing down tracks from their epic album Attack On Memory like Stay Useless, No Future/No Past and set highlight, the opus Wasted Days, Cloud Nothings live up to the hype that was fuelled by killer Laneway Festival sets over the weekend. If tonight's set wasn't on a school night, it would be one for the ages. As it is, this double bill is still one to remember, and a reminder that Tuesdays can be fun too.