Live Review: San Cisco, Gunns

Mojo’s Bar was already filled to capacity before opening act Gunns emerged on stage. Punters from throughout Perth and beyond came down to North Fremantle to witness the commencement of well loved indie-pop group San Cisco’s Australian-wide Run tour.

Gunns blew open their set with a haze of fuzz and whimsical psychedelic tunes. The band’s performance was best described as a snowball, slow on the first few tracks on their set but building momentum and excitement to something spectacular towards the end. However, their performance was in no way lacklustre. Punters were taken aback by the chilled nasal-toned surf-pop vocals of lead singer Clinton Oliver and the reverbed chord progressions that undulated with every alternating drum beat. Tracks included recently released The Fool which brought the band’s performance into a slow stir, submerging the crowd of punters into the hazy sounds of ‘60s surf bands gone by. One of the final tracks Leaving Home picked up the pace, and gave the crowd a bit of pep in their step.

When San Cisco emerged onto the small stage, the crowd roared with anticipation. By now the number of punters had grown and the length of the crowd reached the end of the bar.

Instantly one of the most noticeable things was that the band has matured significantly after three EPs and one full-length album. The band threw dived straight into the addictive indie-pop they’re known for. With a consistent funky beat held by drummer Scarlett Stevens and addictive riffs coming from Josh Biondillo, the crowd was mesmerised by their atmospheric performance. The band opened their performance with catchy tunes like Golden Revolver and Stella, both containing a rapid drumbeat that gestured the crowd to move side to side for the upcoming summer vibes the songs cheekily contained. Midway punters were treated to hits like Reckless, No Friends and Toast, which peppered with synth, also made the punters move. The crowd got particularly enthusiastic with the band’s most well known single Awkward. Towards the end, newly launched single Run was played. Containing an unforgettable disco beat, it enticed punters to clap enthusiastically as lead singer Jordi Davieson’s sampled vocals teased the crowd as to which direction the band’s sound will go next.