Live Review: sleepmakeswaves, Rosetta, Oolluu

Tonight marks a double celebration, of a historic social change that has come just about in our nation and of unconventional rock music.

Oolluu's all-instrumental synth rock is wildly idiosyncratic but truly engaging and the nicely building crowd laps it up like the kitty who got the cream, impressed with the energetic, uplifting vibes this three-piece produces. The synth and the bass react to, and interplay with, each other sonically in a way that is quite unique and fascinating, while the drums keep a solid-but-busy groove pounding powerfully behind it all. Their music and live performance is quite mesmerising and this band provides a highly impressive opening to this evening of left-of-centre sounds.

The first words spoken by Rosetta frontman Mike Armine are those of congratulation to our nation for our 'civil rights victory' in legalising marriage equality this day, before the band laces into a poundingly heavy set of their own unique brand of vocally oriented post-rock and metal. This is a band that manages to bludgeon and soothe the listener at the same time. It sounds contrary and counter-intuitive, but somehow they manage to pull it off with an aplomb befitting a band of this illustrious status. Their set this night is a veritable cauldron of intensity, with the two guitars and bass sometimes punching savagely in unison, sometimes intertwining in intricate fashion. The perpetual motion of the drums and Armine's howling vocals provide a vicious counterpoint to it all over the top. This band has an illustrious live reputation around the world, and their 50-minute set this night proved why.

Sleepmakeswaves are also in an even more exuberant mood than usual only a few hours after the marriage-equality vote went through parliament, having been quite vocal supporters of the cause for quite some time. They even released their own special-edition, marriage-equality T-shirt a few months back, which two of the band members are clad in tonight.

A quiet, ambient intro explodes into post-rock pandemonium. This band's music is just so very alive on record and in a live setting receives a massive, extra dose of highly combustible rocket fuel. Their set tonight is 90 minutes duration (including encores) of cathartic instrumental euphoria, the sold-out crowd drinking in the pure fire, intensity and energy that flows off the stage. At the same time, sleepmakeswaves do it all with an engaging, good-natured vibe that endears them to all and puts a smile on the face of virtually everyone present.