Live Review: Sures - GoodGod Small Club

Brit-rock, garage scuzz and surf pop were all on the menu, celebrating the launch of a stellar new EP by SURES. Will & The Indians were the first to plug in, dishing up a hybrid of Brit pop-rock and ska punk that got the shy and sober crowd subconsciously bopping away. With a catchy sound so indebted to The Libertines and the Arctic Monkeys, it was hard to believe these four lads grew up in the outskirts of Sydney and not the musical hub of London. The indie rockers are no older than 18, yet their content and composition shows maturity well beyond their age and their lack of live experience – given away by a few broken strings, a mid-set guitar loan and nervous banter – was quickly forgiven.

Woe & Flutter took things up a notch with their robust garage rock and comfortable stage presence. They deal in a style of high-octane fuzz-punk of The Strokes ilk, yet have carved out a niche of their own with two vocally opposite frontmen and an unlikely knack for nostalgic blues. The Gold Coast quartet impressed the gathering crowd not only with their eclectic repertoire, but also with their sense of humour. Like a true martyr for rock'n'roll, guitarist/vocalist Adam Schneider braved the faulty microphone that kept electrocuting his lips to keep the show rolling and the laughs a'comin'.

By now the underground danceteria was heaving with hipsters and music paparazzi, all eagerly awaiting the headliners to take the stage. SURES lived up to the expectations, drowning the room with their signatory surf-rock soundscapes and blissed out vocals. With weeks worth of triple j radio play behind it, infectious summer-laced track Poseidon naturally evoked the greatest reception from the crowd and was surprisingly performed quite early on in the set. This was no disappointment though, as the youthful Sydney bred group had plenty of other reverb-filled tunes to be soaked up, such as melodic crooner The Sun and the EP title track Stars. Having previously toured alongside international artists Best Coast, Real Estate and Wavves, the improved onstage confidence and camaraderie of SURES was palpable. They still seem to have a high wall up towards their doting audience though, barely conversing with them in-between songs, but perhaps that's all a part of their laidback surfer 'tude and by all means, it totally worked.