Live Review: Stillwater Giants, Oakland, Georgia Reed

Stillwater Giants' launch of their new single Montage at Mojo's Bar in Fremantle went off with a bang, with a showcase of happy-go-lucky indie-rockers Oakland and broody bluesy songstress Georgia Reed leading the charge. They lay down a tapestry of heavyset rock tunes which stretched way into the night, and punters were kept entertained throughout. It was a torrential baptism swilling with beer and burgeoning rock.

Georgia Reed kicked off the night with a set filled with brooding vocals and a classic guitar-rock style; her vocals confidently filled the room, adding to the feeling of a larger stage presence then what had actually appeared. Reed was clad in subtle black, and it was hard not to place imagine her pulling off a classy blues piece. Smashing out strong, heady songs with a determined confidence, Reed brought about a crispy fiesta. Waiting For You To Run really summed up her set, displaying a perfect mixture of hard rock, soulful vocals and a borderline hair metal guitar solo, showing great potential and leaving a lasting, unshakable impression.

Oakland were a pleasing precursor to Stillwater Giants; being of similar sound and style, it gave the gig a sense of thematic consistency, making the single launch a really seamless listening experience. The band's sound echoed well across Mojo's, with the added reverb to the band's overall instrumentation inducing a slight fleeting feeling to the lyrics. Punters gently jostled to the band's upbeat tone, skilfully illustrated by the minimalist approach to the guitar melodies and drum beat.

Stillwater Giants emerged on to the stage to great praise from the crowd. They jumped straight into their set with an energetic brilliance, and the crowd was reminded of what makes watching the band so fun; the funkiness of the whole experience. Smashing out songs with unfettered, cheeky tenacity, the band members engaged with the crowd, asking for three volunteers to scull three beers while a pirate tune was given lip service — fitting for concert near Fremantle docks of course. The band finished off with Montage, before lead singer Henry Clarke goaded the audience by throwing off his shirt with the band playing an eclectic cover of classic Presidents Of The USA's Peaches.