Live Review: Pond, Water Temple, The Weapon Is Sound, Fucking Teeth

I rocked up to The Bakery half an hour before the opening act were due on stage, expecting a fair portion of the sold-out show's crowd to be lined up, excited and ready for action. This wasn't the case, and for all those who decided to skip Fucking Teeth, well, you missed out big time. Sporting what would become the night's fad by way of paper-boat hats made of newspaper, the early crowd were treated to a feast of rough-cut punk jams and wolf howls, complimented by some fantastic and often humorous songwriting.

Next to grace the stage were The Weapon Is Sound, and there was only just enough room to fit all eight members. A stark contrast to the previous band, they had the crowd grooving away with some heaving, hypnotising beats of psychedelic dub-filled reggae. The band certainly deserve extra credit for their size, and it works wonderfully in their favour, the end product being some of the most genuine-sounding dub the Perth scene has to offer.

The penultimate performance of the night saw Water Temple face the audience, and while they didn't particularly stand-out amongst the other bands, the growing crowd were on their side and this really allowed them to shine, their confidence brimming. Their style of furious instrumental rock really hit the spot.

By the time Pond took to the stage, the crowd had amassed inside The Bakery and the band opened with their classic brand of psych riffage from the get-go. Although Pond share some members with Tame Impala, it is obvious that the bands are completely different animals, Pond certainly being the more wild of the two. Lead vocalist Nick Allbrook looked well and truly in the zone, spending a lot of time staggering across the front section of stage and making a mess of the mic cord. The band as a whole produced a gruelling, noisy set that was so eagerly lapped up by the audience, it was easy to see why Pond have conquered Perth with their revelling funk-psych jams, and for all those who were there, it was certainly a night to remember.