Live Review: Penny Ikinger & The Silver Bells, Taipan Tiger Girls, The Pink Tiles

Tonight’s edition of Melbourne Museum’s monthly rave-up, Nocturnal, promises to take us to Tokyo. The diverse line-up of local talent does not disappoint, providing an epic evening.

We arrive to find The Pink Tiles making a making a loud garage racket. They kind of flirt with a psychedelic sound but strong riffs and plenty of pop hooks have the crowd bopping. It’s a decidedly feel-good way to start off a Friday evening. Whether you are renovating your bathroom or just want to get down to some ol’ school rock‘n’roll, Pink Tiles are always a good option.

Tomo and Frank indulge in some bizarro, Japanese-themed performance art, keeping punters amused with their cartoon character-like antics. They provide a suitable intro for Penny Ikinger who is here to launch her third solo album, Tokyo. As the title of her album suggests, Ikinger has been hanging out in Tokyo and on this occasion returns to Melbourne with a crack band of Japanese musicians who really mean business. Interestingly Ikinger and The Silver Bells play two relatively short sets showcasing her new album. Each set is a wild excursion into hard-driving rock that is a little pedalled up into mind-expanding psychedelics. The driving grit of the mix keeps Ikinger and her band from completely escaping into a psych state of mind. Nonetheless, a wild squall of intense guitar noise provides Ikinger with plenty of opportunity to show off how her nimble fingers can work the frets and mesmerises the crowd. Dropping cuts like Tsunami and Tokyo City in front of video footage of Tokyo’s neon lights, it would seem that Ikinger has become majorly enamoured with the land of the rising sun.

In between sets there’s plenty happening to keep us busy. There's a karaoke stage and screenings of cult Japanese movies tucked in the museum’s exhibition spaces. Even the museum’s curators proudly talk up their exhibits, enthusiastically geeking out but admirably passing on valuable knowledge. Adalita’s selections on the PA keeps the place buzzing with excitement.

While Ikinger and her band take down the night with a wild second set of hard rock, it’s not before Taipan Tiger Girls almost steal the show with a surprisingly lush kosmische jam that evolves slowly over 40 or 50 minutes. The constant chug of motorik beats seemingly holds the psychedelic chaos of the mix. Despite guitar and bass, it's Ollie Olsen’s musings on a modest but versatile modular synth that totally dominates the mix. A veteran of Melbourne’s electronic music scene, Olsen calmly coaxes all manner of drones and tones from his synths. While the Taipan Tiger Girls have previously charged at us on more of an electro-punk tip, tonight’s jam washes up with a subtle trance feel.

Nocturnal somehow makes a night out at the museum feel very cool.