Live Review: sleepmakeswaves, Caligula's Horse, Pagan

Diversity in a live, multi-band bill is a very good thing. Pagan seem an odd choice for this highly progressive line-up, however it's better than having three bands of a very similar genre on the one night. Their sound is not progressive at all, in fact it is quite primitive: a gnarly, nasty take on At The Drive-In-style punk rock and hardcore. The band is fronted by the hyperactive Nikki Brumen, who screams, squeals and screeches like some insane banshee, and also puts on a highly visual and physical show. The band behind her is tight as a clenched fist and bludgeoningly powerful. Pagan's short, razor-sharp set opens proceedings with a real bang.

Now it's time for some prog and Brissie's Caligula's Horse provide the progressiveness in no uncertain terms. Opening with A Gift To Afterthought, Caligula's Horse treat the Max Watt's punters to a highly crowd-pleasing selection of favourites from their back catalogue — Dark Hair Down, This City Has No Empathy (Your Sentimental Lie), the enchanting Firelight and so forth — plus one amazing brand new tune from their next album. Frontman Jim Grey himself cites the diversity in this evening's band line-up, from a vocalist's perspective: the opening band has female vocals, first support has male vocals and the headliners have no vocals — variety is the spice of rock.

There is something beautiful and magical about this band's music, it actually transcends genre classifications such as prog, rock and metal and simply remains its own unique thing, and their live performance demonstrates wall-to-wall strength. In this instance they are the perfect lead-in to the headliner.

While you would put Caligula's Horse and sleepmakeswaves loosely in a similar genre, there is still a quantum leap between the two — in sound and style — even beyond the fact that one band has a vocalist and one does not. On this night, they complement and contrast each other magnificently.

From the very first note to when the final strains of their one-hour-and-20-minute set fading away, the energy cascading from sleepmakeswaves' stage is like a beautiful tsunami thanks to their majestic, intense music and the live performance from these four players — a joy to behold. Like Caligula's Horse, their set is chock-full of favourites from their past, with a very tasteful selection of tunes from their brand new, hot-off-the-press album Made Of Breath Only.

It is actually difficult to conceive that so much energy and personality can flow off the stage, and that music so very evocative and powerful can be created by a band without vocals, lyrics and frontperson. But not only do these Sydney boys pull it off with aplomb, they also actually make it look as easy as shelling a pea. On top of that, they appear to be having the absolute time of their lives doing it, with big cheesy grins lighting up their faces from go to whoa. And, looking around the crowd, those smiles and that enjoyment are absolutely infectious.