Live Review: DMA's, Lurch & Chief, White Summer

Melbourne four-piece White Summer peddle their brand of screeching, blues-flavoured grunge-rock before a decent crowd. Amusing frontman James Stanfield gallivants about the stage throughout impressive spates of wild guitar solos.

Purveyors of '60s-influenced psych-rock, hairy follow-ups Lurch & Chief perform in the manner of a jam session. In keeping with their retro rock'n'roll aesthetic, Wiped Out highlights frontman Hayden Somerville's brooding, powerful vocals and committed boy/girl harmonising with backing singer Lili Hall. Though there's a definite daggy wholesomeness to this sextet, their set features certain gems including a cover of Chris Isaak's Wicked Game plus radio favourite Mother/Father, which nicely executes their ultra-dramatic flair.

The mood in the room intensifies as we eagerly anticipate our headliners, Sydney outfit DMA's, who are here as part of their debut EP launch tour. The trio play as a band of six tonight, ensuring the three guitars present onstage evoke a decidedly lush layering. Kicking off with killer EP opener Feels Like 37, the band immediately stamp out their Britpop influences, contained within a sunny Aussie sensibility. Baseball-cap-wearing frontman Tommy O'Dell whacks at a tambourine stick while unleashing his expressive Noel Gallagher-inspired vox. Singing along silently yet enthusiastically with O'Dell's lines, guitarist Johnny Took (Little Bastard) performs with an entertainingly high intensity given he's on acoustic tonight. More garage in ethos than genre, the band's carefree attitude elicits some beachside stoner vibes. There's hints of The Stone Roses in their dense, pop-happy sound, along with a great deal of buzzing distortion to back it up. Generally favouring chords over riffs, chilled-out offerings such as The Plan showcase the strong, nuanced melodies underpinning the punchy, fuzz-rock stylings of DMA's.

When the crowd recognises the start of buzz single Delete, raucous applause emerges. O'Dell inadvertently adopts the role of charismatic evangelist throughout this intimate anthem of a number and a throng of girls up front throw their hands in the air in worship. The third piece of the DMA's puzzle and the writer of this fan favourite, guitarist Matt Mason's backing vocals almost replicate O'Dell's in their high rawness. The pair's quietly angsty interplay during this track is certainly one of the reasons Delete is so compelling, along with its slow, satisfying build.

Offering the goods to confirm the hype, DMA's seriously impress with their winning hooks, which are capable of quickly luring new fans into the fold. Watch out, Splendour.