Live Review: Even, The On & Ons, The Soul Movers

You'll find a range of sometimes surprising names in the canon of Australian power pop. The headliners, for starters. But throw in combos like The Stems, Hoodoo Gurus, The Screaming Tribesmen and even Radio Birdman. You actually got members of all of those and more Friday night — and that's just in the support bands. The Soul Movers even have a further secret weapon — an ex-Wiggle no less. And if you didn't already know Murray Cook is actually a helluva guitar player, go see.

The On & Ons' Morris brothers know what they're about, too. Even the titles of hook-laden guitar songs like Long Ride and Rockin' With The Beat seem right. Let's just put them on the line somewhere between jangle and crunch.

But if you're after the classic and classicist guitar-pop band, let's talk Even. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Less Is More, all you really needed was to have your glass, can or bottle of choice in your hand and just let a bunch of near-perfect pop tunes wash over you.

If Ash Naylor wasn't such a genuinely nice fella, he'd be pretty easy to hate. That guitar tone that's crystalline clear, but then shimmers away — he makes it look so easy! And then he comes out with happy exclamations like, "Music is such a fucking magical thing!" and you believe him. Little pop gems like Stop And Go Man, Eternal Teen and Peaches & Cream (with added Dave Orwell viola) just tumbled out. Between Naylor and the equally nice Wally Kempton and Matty Cotter, Even remains the sweetly balanced guitar, bass and drums trio it should be.

The album in question was dispatched, but they (and us) needed an encore and Even delved further into the back catalogue. Bowie In My Dreams got a bit of an Oasis-style crowd singalong going and Noel Gallagher would give a thumb to have come up with a song as good as Black Umbrella. Liam Gallagher would give both. Even, still the business.