Live Review: Methyl Ethel, Totally Mild, Felix Lush

Newtown Social Club scored a winning trifecta of Aussie indie acts to kickstart their final summer weekend before closing their doors permanently later this April. 

Condensing as many dreamy '80s synth-pop tracks as possible into his opening support set, Felix Lush was oozing with potential. His drum machine set the pace for the rest of his band to follow - It was a fluent melancholic rush from start to finish. His nostalgic ballads were both danceable and mesmerising in a way that encourages you to close your eyes and be lost in a swirly hypnotic trance. 

Totally Mild were similarly hypnotic but of the punchy psychedelic-rock variety. Lead singer Elizabeth Mitchell would sedate audience members into a false state of calm with her luring falsetto vocals so that Zachary Schneider could bash out audaciously ferocious guitar lines – the end result was exuberant and pulsating. The bouncy quality to their music allowed them to coast along to their closer to make way for the headline act. 

Methyl Ethel emerged on stage amidst the buzzing flurry of a lo-fi intergalactic space flanger that drowned out any and all other sounds. The sold-out crowd were then treated to an early string of popular tracks including Rogues, Idee Fixe and new tune No 28. The Perth crew managed to keep this momentum going by showcasing fresh tunes that stepped away from the dark serenity of 2015’s Oh Inhuman Spectacle and into more dance-friendly, glam-pop territory. 

Perched on the far right corner of the stage, lead singer and guitarist Jake Webb nailed his vocal lines to their studio-sounding precision, while also perking up punters with the occasional bits of banter when attention visibly waned midway through their set. The band gained a second wind thanks to the crowd-pleasing gem Twilight Driving and then maintained this enthusiasm through their catchy glam-rock single Ubu. It was a delight to see a promising band beef up their set-list with stellar new material that complemented the old and ensured a night of endless boogieing.