On this rainy evening, Sydney duo Fishing kick things off at the Corner, once again proving that their particular line in glitchy laptop pop is a cut above the seemingly endless number of acts emerging in this genre recently. It's going to be hard for these guys to graduate to headlining bills though, as the opening spots that they are currently receiving suit them down to a tee. You don't really have to pay too much attention as there's no real visual aspect to what Fishing do, but if you manage to shut your friends up and crane your neck you'll be handsomely rewarded. A restless, growing crowd really take notice when Doug Wright (aka the guy on the right hand side) busts out his now customary, helium-voiced rap.
As far as ideologies go, it'd be hard to find a bigger contrast to Fishing than The Preatures. Where Fishing reside firmly in the iGeneration, Isabella Manfredi and her band of leather jacketed cohorts have both eyes firmly rooted in the past. All quiffed-up hair and Doors-y breakdowns, they waste no time establishing their modus operandi with tracks such as Take A Card and Pale Rider. Manfredi's thousand-yard stare is ever-present as she swans about and chews the scenery with co-lead vocalist Gideon Bensen. Musically proficient and visually on the money, there is still something missing from The Preatures' set tonight, a suspicion confirmed by the crowd's lukewarm reaction.
Deep Sea Arcade have been putting in the hard yards for a number of years now, so it is nice to see a near-sold out venue embrace the Sydney psychedelic band as one of their own. Kicking off with Seen No Right – taken, like the majority of tonight's set, from their excellent debut Outlands – singer Nic McKenzie immediately has the crowd in the palm of his hand with his Gallagher-esque posturing. This being the band's first show with a new guitarist, there is a sense of occasion about the set as they run through what almost feels like a 'greatest hits' package. Granite City, Steam and The Devil Won't Take You all get a guernsey as the band warms into their surroundings. Surprisingly, the Corner isn't necessarily full of your average triple j devotees, with Deep Sea Arcade seeming to have found a genuine and enthusiastic audience that definitely pushes the age equator closer to 30 than 19. It's a positive thing, especially as they roll out a bang-on cover of Let Forever Be by The Chemical Brothers that demonstrates an extremely clear example of a band, their audience and the glorious clashing of record collections.