Live Review: Smudge, Community Radio, Sleepy

Sleepy seemed a promising bet, with their tight and punchy style perhaps reminiscent of Teenage Fanclub, but were let down by a bad mix. With too-loud bass and buried vocals, one song with shades of Dinosaur Jr featured seemingly impressive guitar work that was almost inaudible. That said, they definitely pleased the punters who’d come along to hear some chordsy, ‘90s-style powerpop. If nothing else, they made a pretty strong case for people to check out their recordings.

Community Radio’s singer admitted early that they’re not used to playing loud and were just giving it a shot because of the illustrious venue. The amped-up style suited them, but it did mean there were some kinks – the drummer played with hot-rod sticks and brushes throughout, so much of the potential punch was lost. Drums aside, the band consistently impressed with cleverly written, feisty alt-rock, replete with handy guitar work, inventive structures and a keen ear for groove. The band’s slow-cooked, skewed pop was seriously impressive, even though it felt a little too pared back.

Thankfully, that wasn’t a problem for Sydney alt-rock veterans Smudge, whose trademark fuzzy guitar and manic drumming were on point throughout. The trio, 20 years since releasing their debut LP, Manilow, played the record in full, and as the heavyweight grunge of the titular opener gave way to the sunny, jangly Ingrown, a crowd full of forty-somethings cast their collective minds back.

The Go-Betweensy Desmond featured drummer Alison Galloway on vocals, who was reliably having the most fun on stage throughout the night, and this glee came through in her voice, providing a nice break from frontman Tom Morgan’s subtler intoning. The gradually drunker frontman ensured that the stage banter was pretty in-jokey, but to be fair, a hometown show celebrating the band’s legacy is as good an excuse as any to be a little exclusive.

After Manilow, crowd members gradually trickled out, as the band stayed on later than expected. Whilst the diehards that remained were largely rewarded with more drunken chatter amongst the band, a stirring rendition of The Outdoor Type capped off the night fittingly and rewarded those who remember a band who always balanced just on the edge of recognition as a classic.