Live Review: Day Ravies, Parading, Black Springs, Cull - Petersham Bowling Club

Cull opened their set with an instrumental number, giving the sound guy time to wrap his head around the various loops, delays and effects that would characterise the night to come. While the unmic'd drums meant that the band's loud, wall-of-sound choruses often felt a bit of a wash, it was only knowing how good these guys sound at the best of times that made this apparent. Cull are innovators and absolute standouts in a crowded psych scene, from the drowsy stomp of World Inside Your Head to their slowed-down and burnt-out cover of Pavement's Shady Lane.

Black Springs' sound was lai-back as all hell, with pleasant, jangly clean guitars reminiscent at times of Courtney Barnett, occasionally modified with some nice phasers. However, many of their songs didn't have an awful lot of build or growth to them, instead contentedly sitting in comfortable mid-tempo grooves. As such, the reaction they received from the crowd was mainly bopping heads and tapping toes. While the band was perfectly proficient, this set didn't make it feel like they were really challenging themselves.

Parading's crowded guitar parts didn't seem to suit the ultra-laidback, slackery vibe of the songs – a jarring issue which didn't let up throughout the band's set. In addition, frontman Tomas Barry clearly wasn't too excited about being there, and the crowd reflected this back at him, taking the set as an opportunity to check their phones. Those who cared to pay attention were rewarded with a wailing wall of distorted guitars and frowny vocals. A late cover of Bruce Springsteen's Factory brightened things up a shade, but failed to leave much of an impression.

The dreamy vocals, thumping drums and sludgy guitars of Day Ravies should have spelled disaster in the cavernous room. However, their set, largely populated by new songs, overcame the confines of the room instantly and really showcased the band's variety in songwriting. The group were clearly relishing the opportunity to test new material on a faithful audience, and a great deal of it impressed. One new track could've been a punk song if it weren't for the tranquil lead vocals and lashings of reverb, while another bopped about with new wave charm.