Live Review: Dead Letter Circus, 10 Years, Guards Of May

There was a festive air at the Roundhouse on Saturday, and not just because it was DLC member Stewie Hill's birthday — although that happy event did prompt a florescence (tumescence?) of cocks on scrawled on chests. No, this scribe put the happy vibe down to the fact that on offer were three well-rehearsed, accomplished bands strutting their stuff and making sure a good time was had by all.

Brisbane's Guards Of May are one of the few heavy bands doing the rounds in our local scene blessed with both an understanding of the essentials of hooks — and how to apply them to maximum effect — and a really great vocalist who quite literally hit all the right notes. Theirs is a high-energy show, that ebbed and flowed, enlivening proceedings with the odd rifftastic flourish. They drew a respectable crowd for such an early hour and warmed us all up nicely for what else came next. Highlight numbers included Annotata, Arcadia, Beacons and set closer, Future Eyes.

It's pretty safe to say that before Tennessee natives 10 Years rocked up, there has never been so many trucker caps sported by one band on an Australian stage. However distracting this fascination proved, it was soon swept aside by the powerful show put on by the blokey five-piece. Jumps, riffs, scowling and general metal mayhem got more than a few punters going, beers spilled and prompting trips back to the bar for refills. Frontman Jesse Hasek's 'Fuck Kanye' T-shirt issued a declaration in large gold lame lettering that few present had any quibble with, a garment that was later shed to reveal the dick drawn on his chest as his gift to the birthday boy. Knives, Fade Into and Luna provided a strong mid-section while set closers Backlash and Shoot It Out ensured the band walked off stage with a few more fans than they opened with.

Thanks to years of relentless touring, now three albums on playlists everywhere, and a sense of melody most lesser mortals envy, Dead Letter Circus have grown into one of the most accomplished acts Australia has ever produced. The band melded new songs with the familiar. The new numbers, Silence, In Plain Sight and While You Wait offered some new textures and sat very comfortably within the overall scheme; they're different in a good way — with the hint of future directions. However, with eyes fixed on the present, the band generated lusty singalongs, much pogoing and generally didn't let up throughout the 90-minute set... until of course it was time to present bassist Stewart Hill with a bright, stripy, phallic birthday cake and a house-rousing rendition of Happy Birthday. One of the night's high points and unexpected pleasures was Luke Williams' virtuoso drum solo before closing with the epic The Mile. No encore was offered; none was needed.