Live Review: Hey Geronimo, Alice Ivy, Lost Woods, The Montreals

Throughout the colder months in Adelaide, Music SA have organised a generous line-up of live music projects to keep the city illuminated. Last Friday marked the opening night of the Umbrella Winter City Sounds festival, with Rocket Bar hosting four of Australia's most exciting upcoming acts in the one night.

Kicking things off were local favourites The Montreals, rolling out some lush indie tunes that we're probably going to be hearing on their EP Indigo Club, due out early spring, including one track about being drunk in Vietnam. It's clear these guys are in a very comfortable place, with both a consistently fervent stage presence and a growing setlist of catchy indie-pop goodness. 

More local talent from indie-rock five-piece Lost Woods followed. Having released their self-titled debut EP that day, the energy from the boys was hard to hide. We heard new material like Billy Zane and Secrets In Our Sleeves that showed off an impressive vocal range from frontman Peter White. Stand-out track Miyolangsangma's Palace featured some manic guitar work, including an '80s rock-inspired guitar solo that surprised and excited the crowd.

Up next was Melbourne-based producer Alice Ivy (Annika Schmarsel), who shifted gears to bring us a glowing, soulful set of electronic sounds that were drenched in quirky samples and echoing electric guitar. These curious layers of sound, all mastered by Schmarsel herself, made for a swampy soundscape dotted with small, pretty surprises that, despite going to dark places, still had the crowd totally absorbed and moving effortlessly.

Bringing their debut album Crashing Into The Sun (2016) on tour and also closing the night were Brisbane indie-rockers Hey Geronimo. The big, pop sounds you find on this debut were written to be heard live, any other format does not do them justice. The layers upon layers of eclectic guitar, infectious hooks and explosive percussion behind every one of the 12 massive tracks translates perfectly into a live context. Playing to a crowd that proudly sang and danced for the entirety of the set, the electricity between the band and fans was unmistakable. Charging through Lazer Gun Show, Bake A Cake and India, surfy, jangly guitars with a '60s-rock backbone drove each track.

Hey Geronimo maintain their happy-go-lucky-even-if-things-aren't-actually-that-great feel with curiously anxious lyrics matched with infectious riffs, clapping and harmonised choruses that turn the songs from potentially angsty to joyous. After a huge crowd response to Carbon Affair and Finale, the guys wrapped up with a throwback to 2012 with Why Don't We Do Something?, highlighted with an explosive guitar solo much to the crowd's pleasure.