Live Review: Poison City Weekender

Atom Simpson’s previous bands Days Of Iris and A Death In The Family all ended prematurely. Tonight there are moments when his latest project, Regrets, threatens to outshine both. They play loud; very loud, but it’s almost out of necessity, to showcase the bass and guitar intricacies that more than underscore their songs.  Opening the second night of Poison City’s annual Weekender festival they showcase the heavier side of the Melbourne, and indeed Australia’s, punk scene and leave the early crowd impatient for their debut release.

Somewhere between Slint and Shellac, Brisbane’s Tape/Off play guitar driven rock music and its many fractured subgenres. “If you’re such an expert, why don’t you go and do it yourself,” sings Nathan Pickels, testimony to their D.I.Y philosophy and innovative approach to music.       

Featuring Poison City label boss Andrew Hayden on bass, Freak Wave’s inclusion on the bill is more than warranted with their pop-punk sensibilities, while Infinite Void add a fresh and frenetic sound to both the label and line up. 

On a seven band bill of back to back bands, there are times when many acts merge in to the next. When it’s hard to distinguish a clear point of difference, along comes High Tension. With a dynamic that goes from heavy to even heavier, Karina Utimo’s stage presence is entrancing. High Risk High Rewards seems fitting in more than just song title.

Byron Bay’s Post Blue opens with a cover of The Smashing Pumpkin’s Zero. It’s counterproductive, as the rest of their set has you guessing what songs are theirs and what aren’t, amongst a wash of 90’s grunge.

“We got in this morning from a 21 hour flight from Boston,” says Pity Sex’s Brennan Greaves on playing in a different continent for the first time. Hyped in their hometown of Michigan, it’s clear to see why their rise is now global. An inspired cover of Pixies Gigantic hints to their lo-fi pop influences that also include Dinosaur Jr and Sonic Youth, while their harmonious male/female vocals set them apart from many of their contemporaries and see themselves as an influence for others. Playing shows with Perfect Pussy and The New Pornographers in the next month, you feel their next Australian tour will be in significantly larger rooms to significantly more people.