Hockey DadHockey Dad's Boronia tour hit Perth nightclub Jack Rabbit Slim's and redefined chaos. Starting off with a just a few punters jostling away to the support bands, the gig erupted into a sizeable moshpit, a human maelstrom of sweat and odour - all a part of the Hockey Dad experience. Stellar supporting rock acts Palm Soma and Sly Withers eased the crowd into the night with punkish antics and rock rhythms. It was a powder keg waiting to go off. If you got caught in the blast radius, you were probably in the right spot.
Palm Soma was the first band to rock out the punters. Their sound mixed the heavier rock antics of Kings Of Leon with the intricacies of a pop punk band. Cycling through the tracks, the band possessed enthusiasm and zest. A hilarious aspect of this band's set was when they played a new song, asking the crowd to name it (it was christened 'Whale Penis' by one of the band members).
Like Palm Soma, Sly Withers had up-and-coming promise. With a set neatly spread with ample amounts of grungy fuzz, the band played emotive punk. By now an ample group of enthusiastic rockers were starting to hang near the photography barrier, wanting to get as close as possible to experience the crisp rock. With each member of the band adding their own creative flair to the overall sound, it was a fun spectacle. You could tell the band enjoyed being here. Whether it was due to lead singer Sam Blitvich's raspy vocals or Jono Mata's guitar skills, their set was top notch.
Hockey Dad produce a ridiculous amount of noise for a two-piece. Their cover of Hole's Malibu was a highlight of their set as was their own track Boronia, which gave off summery indie-rock vibes. With plenty of crowd-surfers jumping off the stage and miraculously being held up for long periods of time, there was no doubt punters caught the wave of enjoyable Hockey Dad delirium.
