Live Review: Oh Mercy, Millions, Split Seconds

Tonight is a triple j fan's wet dream: Three up-and-coming Aussie bands, each a recipient of oodles of hyperbole from the national yoof station, together on the same stage. Throw in an over-enthusiastic presenter and some blatant cross-promotion, and you've got an hour of the finest the station has to offer.

Melbourne-via-Perth band Split Seconds are up first. The crowd is woesome in size, with the Hi-Fi vibe more reminiscent of a Year 12 Formal than a live music venue. The upstairs bar is closed, which can only be a good thing given that there are already enough awkward, empty spaces in here to fit a pile of pimple-faced kids and let them stare nervously at members of the opposite sex.

Brisbane band Millions are a quartet of clean-cut young men, and their 40-minute set proves the highlight of the night. If the backdrop of gold glitter, the fact that all four band members are dressed in black and showing not a single facial hair amongst them, and stagnant lighting doesn't continue the High School Dance theme, then their cover of The Ronettes' Be My Baby and their own ballads sure do, deserving of excessive tinsel, crappy food and a spiked punch.

Locals Oh Mercy get themselves up to round out the final show of their national tour. Main man Alexander Gow fits the theme for the evening with gold jacket, slicked-back hair and a suitably sleazy air about him. The lighting guy must've turned up during the break, because there's more than mood lighting to set the stage with, and despite Gow's constant, annoying yelps, the reverb on his vocals is quite good. A guest violinist joins the band onstage, but his talents are wasted since it's impossible to hear his contribution over everyone else's instruments.

The set features plenty of songs from Oh Mercy's latest release, Deep Heat, including the title track, Rebel Beats, Fever and My Man, as well as throwing back to the (much better) Stay, Please Stay and Keith St from Great Barrier Grief. After Millions and Split Seconds join the band onstage for Drums, Oh Mercy finish with a blissfully cacophonic version of Bruce Springsteen's State Trooper and we're out the door for the last tram home. Muck-up day must be tomorrow.