Live Review: Split Seconds, Stillwater Giants, Rainy Day Women, The Warning Birds

Radiothon may have been the talk of the town amongst Perth's local music scene lovers over the last fortnight, but Saturday evening was all about the highly anticipated album launch from one of Perth's most highly acclaimed alt-rockers, Split Seconds. The Warning Birds kicked off proceedings to an already very healthy crowd. It was great to see all members of the band brimming with confidence, especially given their somewhat newcomer status. Their brand of rich, melodic indie-pop provided a very enjoyable performance and did a great job in setting the scene for what was to come.

Following the opening act was WAMi Award-nominated quartet, Rainy Day Women, another young band who, like The Warning Birds, supplied the rapidly growing crowd with sweet, summery tunes, light-hearted lyrics and some quirky guitar riffs. The band seemed to really enjoy their time on stage, conquering the ability to mellow out in some areas, and then to lift the pace to a fully-fledged indie rock-out in others. A real highlight within the set was when lead vocalist Dean Ollivierre politely gestured to the crowd to inch forward to the front of the stage, to which they happily obeyed.

As masses of people continued to flood the venue, Stillwater Giants took to the stage, and worked the excited crowd with a searing set of genuine rock'n'roll, filled to the brim with grungy riffs, gutsy drumming and raw, gravely vocals. The entire performance was infused with various guitar solos and breakdowns that kept the beat rolling along. The air of anticipation was imminent as the band left the stage for the headliners.

Finally, with Amplifier reaching full capacity, the band that everyone had came to see and congratulate graced the stage. Split Seconds performed with maximum confidence and enthusiasm, which is appropriate to the amount of success they have had nationally, with their latest album an undisputed success amongst alt-rock admirers. The set material was diverse in sound, while staying true to that crafty indie-pop that they produce so well. Each song sounded as distinct and fresh as the last, and while the crowd loved every second, there was nothing that compared to the cheer they voiced once the tune for All You Gotta Do began bouncing off the walls. It was a fantastic ending to Split Seconds' first ever sell out show, and it was great to see such great support for an exclusively Perth-billed show.