Live Review: RTRFM Radiothon Party 2016

It's that time of year again, when Perth music lovers dig deep in support of their favourite community run radio station. As always the 2016 RTRFM Radiothon ten-day extravaganza was opened with a cracker of a show. Dozens of local acts spread across four venues in Northbridge. A slightly less chaotic show than last year's opener, the festivities limited to the bottom of William Street. Punters streamed back and forth between The Bird, Ezra Pound and State Theatre.

Those who wanted an early start hang in the Ezra Pound alley while listening to a back-to-back set from RTRFM's Willy Slade and DJ Hame, mixing up equal amounts of disco, house and hip hop vibes.

Cocktails flowed as selector after selector took to the decks in the narrow alley. Super Flog, Mike Midnight, Henry Kissinger and the Methods Of Movements crew each kept the party going and the bodies bouncing.

For those hanging out in the State Theatre Centre, they had a choice of two different rooms. The long courtyard had a small stage set up at the end, while a larger stage was set up inside the Theatre underground. Early on in the evening, there was a quick succession of solo performers as part of Barefaced Stories. Poetry and prose in all different forms was performed for the smallish crowd who stood around. Interspersed were performances by Golden String and Xanthea. Golden String are a two-piece who make quite ethereal dream-pop. Vocals, keys and violin mix into a sound that washes over you. Xanthea is a living statue performer who dazzles in melancholic pop. Downstairs, a giant two-story projection acted as the backdrop for performers of a darker tone. HYLA ride a fine line of fuzzed out guitars, drenched in reverb, with delicate vocals. Definite nods to My Bloody Valentine, Jesus & Mary Chain and even Radiohead.

With over a decade in the game, Perth stalwarts French Rockets were up next. A year out from their second album, these guys are consummate performers with a wall of sound that filled the entire space. Very few seats were left for their show.

Over at The Bird, a change of sorts. Normally the home of psych-rock, the evening was replaced with more post-punk sounds. The act of the whole evening had to go to Nerve Quakes, a four-piece heavy on the fuzz with a more than passing resemblance to early era Banshees. The small stage hosted an act that had the whole crowd dancing.

Closing out the evening were one of Perth's best known bands, Mt Mountain. These guys seem to be on nearly every bill recently, with support slots on tons of major tours, so it was good to see them have a chance to shine on their own. These guys are known for pushing the envelope in terms of volume, but with the size of of the venue, it was nice to watch them without your ears ringing for days afterwards.