Live Review: Grim Fandango, Lincoln Le Ferve & The Insiders, Dead Glorious, Ratking, Loners

“Thanks for letting us borrow everyone's gear… because ours don't work … because we're rich,” were the introductory words from rock band, Loners, who opened the Saturday night line-up with a sombre piece. The group's inebriated charisma warmed up the humble crowd as they gave honourable mention to the friends that came to see them, but more importantly, heated the stage for the sweltering sounds of long-standing Perth four-piece headliners, Grim Fandango. Their consistent rock riffs were the palate cleanser for what would leave a potent taste once screamo band, Ratking, entered the stage, fronted by the always golden Josh Reeves. Taking the classic stance of the foot on the fold-back speaker, Reeves roared and illuminated the stage with energy and aggression. The band led the crowd through a series of short punk songs and wrapped up their set in about 15 minutes, during which time the exuberant blond would lean back and scream, flipping his gold locks as the rest of the band followed suit, diligently playing their instruments.
Dead Glorious were not feeling so hot, with lead singer, Rudy, suffering from a chest infection. His demeanour was nonchalant and relaxed, nonetheless, adding more youth to their already brand new image. Their sound was ripe with potential and a fun-loving nature but it wasn't until Lincoln Le Fevre & The Insiders got their gear on that the night really took off. Le Fevre was the kind of guy you could sit down with next to a fire, the two of you swapping troubadour stories and drinking whiskey. His songs all said something about his time as a wandering soul and how it got him on stage, yet unusually out of the limelight. The set-up had him practically in the left corner, playing rhythm guitar and leading every song, while the bass player stood clean in the centre, adding occasional vocals that were seldom heard. Lincoln made a crack about the coffee in Perth being expensive and the girls being pretty, before kind of laughing it off and transitioning into the next song, every bit as sweet as the last. Trailblazing an uncommon style of 'punk rock by the riverside', the set was good enough for any country kid turned anarchist. The best part of the evening though was witnessing a chanting crowd having their 'fan girl' moment when spirited punk-rockers and the evening's headliners, Grim Fandango blazed onto the stage. The bands that preceded them spoke so highly of their good nature that one or two even dedicated a song to the foursome.
Grim Fandango were in fine form, opening with a light, pop-heavy tune to get everyone dancing, and dance they did. Since forming in 2006, the boys have gathered a strong and loyal following. By the time they blasted out Play Forever, everyone from the stage to the seats swayed in good spirits; a strong nightcap to the amalgamation of punk sub-genres that had previously taken the stage. A personal favourite was Collider, which bled into a melodic opening riff reminiscent of a tender '80s prom ballad, except with plaid. Each song was an anthem in its own right and the band brought ample joy to the fine folk that had come out to see them. Even with the fiery ginger, Burgs, absent on bass, Grim Fandango still managed to deliver everything good about punk rock and the juvenile aches of nostalgic noise.