KingswoodAs if channelling the depths of winter outside, the Workers Club bandroom resembles a ski lodge, full of plush wooden panelling and exposed beams. So as Damn Terran smash out their tunes, it's a lush surrounding that their audience find themselves in. Having pulled the ol' switcheroo to come on first, their garage-rock numbers are loose and enjoyable. Though not the same as if they had been enjoyed at 1am on a Saturday night at Pony, the local three-piece blast their way through a set of solid tunes and set the tone for the evening.
Next up are Money For Rope, another local crew who have been busting chops for the past few years on the Melbourne scene. Tonight the six-piece are on fire, tight as a nun from the opening riffs. After losing their bass player Michael Cini to a broken arm in last week's Community Cup, The Vasco Era's Ted O'Neil valiantly fills in on bass and the band go about the business of rocking out with aplomb. Despite a few moments of chaotic noise and movement, MFR have come a long way over the past few years, and with dual drummers, killer keys and raging rock'n'roll ability, they throw down a wicked set.
It's been a big day for Melbourne band Kingswood today. Firstly, they were announced as triple j's Unearthed band to play Splendour In The Grass in a few weeks' time (a fact not lost on the band as they casually drop it into the onstage banter three songs in), but tonight also marks the first date of a nine-date tour with MFR and Damn Terran. Despite a slow start, by song two the four-piece are grappling with their Zeppelin-meets-Birds Of Tokyo sound, frontman Fergus Linacre's voice the clear focal point for the band to structure themselves around.
Singles Yeah Go Die and Medusa go down a treat, and with a strong radio backing the sky will be the limit for Kingswood. Commercial-sounding at times, the band's endeavour cannot be questioned, and after a genuine encore – courtesy of a lapse in concentration from “Cameron the sound guy” – the punters leave satisfied with an evening's worth of good, old-fashioned rock'n'roll.
