Live Review: Dead Owls, Doctopus, Dianas, Thee Gold Blooms, Childsaint

A sense of anticipation filled Astor Lounge on Saturday night as punters filed in for what was potentially the last ever show for Perth-based indie rock duo Dead Owls. Childsaint introduced the night with a mixture of distorted guitar tones and layered vocals backed up by a raw marching beat. Thee Gold Blooms also played with a memorable sound; I Want You So Much, with its 1950s-esque swing beat and clean, sharp guitar tones, made one feel they were soaking up the sun on a Californian beach. Next up were Dianas, whose sound on the surface was depicted as innocuous and innocent through the fleeting high-pitched vocals of the bassist and lead guitarist. Once their music was thrown into the chorus, however, it was thrust into a furore of rapid drum beats and lyrics that seeped anxiety. The final support act consisted of the comedic antics of Doctopus, who, with the inclusion of a joke regarding sexual paraphernalia and fruit, served the crowd with songs that seemed to infuse classic rock'n'roll with the dissonant, chaotic antics of grunge.

The night seemed to be infused with a hint of a bittersweetness. When Dead Owls played their set, the idea of this being their final gig seemed to subconsciously increase the intensity of their songs. The attitude of the crowd built up to a resounding unison of a loose line of revellers nodding and a small crowd of ecstatic fans moshing their heads to the strong beats in songs like Probably Mine and Inside My Head Again, the latter including an excellent breakdown midway through the song, intensifying Jordan Tjhung's heartfelt lyrics. The second-last song brought the venue down to an emotional close, dedicated as it was to the South America-bound Sam Maher; fittingly it was called Final Thoughts. With soft arpeggios and lyrics depicting a sombre narrative, it provided an emotional base for the final song, Only Child, which was what the epitome of the gig signified, heralding the indefinite hiatus of a band with promise and potential. It shall be sad to see them go.