PalmsSydney group Low Lux put together a tight set – atmospheric and bursting with rich textures. Each member worked together well, with real dynamic control that tiptoed the line between fragility and power with ease. Led by a vocalist who sounded like the spawn of Victoria Legrand and Patti Smith, the instrumental backing was doused in reverb, but still punchy, thanks to stomping bass lines and tight rhythmic drumming. While the set won over the crowd quickly with a lot of appreciative head nods, it didn’t feel like a Palms gig just yet.
Hockey Dad took the stage second, quickly ripping into a set full of bona fide surf-rock crowd-pleasers. The young duo’s rowdy energy almost immediately transferred to the crowd, who transformed instantly, bopping around with some untapped adolescent fervour. Babes, a certified banger, hit hard thanks to the cartoonish energy of drummer Billy Fleming and the up-the-neck action of frontman Zach Stephenson. Lead single I Need A Woman might have been the most propulsive of them all, but Seaweed, the band’s last tune, came pretty close, impressing with its massive build and glorious chorus.
Palms frontman Al Grigg, dressed in button-up business shirt (because he “had some serious business to take care of”), began the set solo, with a gutsy rendition of In The Morning. His band soon joined him, and immediately tore into a propulsive new track, replete with snarling distorted guitars and an irresistible ‘doo-doo-doo’ chorus. The band continued to show off songs from their upcoming second LP throughout the night. These newer songs showed growth: one featured complex guitar arrangements and a little more of the emotional weight hinted at in older tracks like This Last Year, while another showed a Cheap Trick-esque knack for power-pop melody, with a gnarly Kiss-like solo from Dion Ford. Hell, they even pulled out a ballad.
At the end of the day though, it was still Love that got everyone in the room fucking pumped. Soon the dancefloor was overflowing with moshing and death-defying crowdsurfing. Older tracks like this and Summer Is Done With Us were extremely lively and cheerfully sloppy, with the band sounding perhaps more fierce than ever. The incredible build of This Last Year was the perfect cap to a chaotic set.
