Jake BuggFresh from strutting his stuff at SXSW stateside, Cam Avery loses the rest of the band and goes it solo for this evening's presentation of The Growl's material. He delivers a rough bluesy sound by looping layers of distorted angry-sounding guitar, harmonica and vocal fragments. Avery maintains a commanding presence as he howls at us with ferocious intensity on the old classic, John The Revelator.
The Creases follow The Growl's rather wild vibrations with their tuneful and melodic pop. They get heavy and start to flirt with psychedelics and drone. When the mix starts to get deliciously fuzzy these lads take us back to the heady days of Creation and that distinctly British guitar-pop sound. It's a catchy chorus that reigns in any experimental impulses as they work towards delivering agreeably bright and breezy pop jangles. A cute cover of Tal Bachman's She's So High is perhaps the biggest surprise their set delivers.
Still just 20 years old Jake Bugg has had phenomenal success with the release of two albums. It feels as though half of Melbourne has been shoehorned into The Palace and now the place is buzzing. As we check out the crowd it's surprising to see that Bugg's bluesy rock'n'roll clearly speaks to fans across the generations. Aging baby boomers rub shoulders with younger Gen X and Y types, who, in some instances, appear to be their progeny. Bugg takes a deep breath and starts to play for all he's worth. Kentucky, There's A Beast And We All Feed It, Trouble Town and Seen It All are thrown down in quick succession and get his set off to an energetic and rousing start. Bugg's guitar is accompanied by bass and drums.
Together the trio delivers these songs with the raw urgency they demand. The crowd is keen for Bugg to interact with us but he seems a little shy, maintaining an aloof presence under dramatic spotlights. He is just here to play us his songs. Most of the room maintain their support for Bugg by singing along to practically all of the set's 20 songs. Tunes like Messed Up Kids and Two Fingers are borne of a troubled youth but ultimately they hit hopeful notes. The set starts to slow as Bugg deals out more mellow tunes, like Broken, which suggests wisdom well beyond his years. Saving the best for last, Bugg rounds off the set with Taste It and the drama of What Doesn't Kill You, leaving the crowd begging for more. He returns with a masterful version of Neil Young's Hey Hey, My My ahead of Lightning Bolt, which clearly displays the influence of Johnny Cash. It'll be interesting to see how Bugg refines his skills in the coming years as he is drawn into a life of rock stardom and away from the mean streets that have inspired many of his songs. A fine performance from an already accomplished songwriter.
