Live Review: Sex On Toast, Lazertits, Beautiful Beasts

As a meandering Thursday night crowd shuffle into The Curtin, Beautiful Beasts start to funk out like it's a full house at Soul Train. The Melbourne seven-piece display tight, well-rounded musicianship throughout a high-octane ska-pop performance. Frontman Andy Pope's contagious enthusiasm gets the crowd moving. Mixing some Ginuwine, NERD and even DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince verses into their set caters perfectly to their party ambience.

There is a palpable stringency in the air as Lazertits lead singer Amy Pettifer gauchely introduces the band's set. The all-girl slacker punk styling is distinctly different from the sound we're presented with for the rest of the night, and self-awareness seems to get to the band. Lazertits' feminist leanings pair well with their lazy-rock instrumentation, but with unimaginative and predictable lyrics it is hard to tell if the girls are asking to be taken seriously or not. Nonetheless, with odes to menstruation and gender studies, Lazertits make their "last gig for a while" one to remember.

From the outskirts, it would be easy to assume that Sex On Toast don't take their job very seriously. But make no mistake, this is one of the most hardworking and professional bands in Melbourne right now. Even during soundcheck, the boys effortlessly jam along to background music to keep the crowd entertained.

The ten-piece funk/soul brothers make their way to the stage, brazen in full white and looking like a clan of cruise-ship entertainers. Lead vocalist Angus Leslie beckons the crowd as close to the stage as possible, before wildly flying into the pop-centric opener Doubt. Launching their new release, Ready, the boys include every song on the five-track EP, with Hold My Love (Pt 2) soulfully reeling in the audience before straight-up seducing them with Give It To Me. Leslie's savoir faire is textbook '70s soul god, and the rest of the band meld together like an amalgamation of James Brown & The Beards. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the performance is the lack of novelty that would easily be assumed of the act. Leslie uses a precise and refined humour only when necessary (the phrase "come on ladies, it's Christmas time!" a highlight). Paying tribute to Prince with a cover of I Wanna Be Your Lover, the band's sincerity is truly showcased.

With Oh Loretta! and Potential Sexy closing the show, Sex On Toast bring the noise, the thunder, and the much needed funk to a cold Thursday evening.