Live Review: The Courtneys, Hollow Everdaze, Baby Blue, Bitch Diesel

Four bands for the price of one! The Courtneys are in town and The Curtin are putting on a mini festival to celebrate. Doors open at 8.30 and first out of the gate are the formidable Bitch Diesel, unleashing their own unceremonious brand of grunge-glam on the audience with enough comedic banter to spark a few giggles and get the room well and truly warmed up.

Second act Baby Blue takes the stage shortly after and continues to push the momentum forward with a short-but-sweet collection of punchy, guitar-driven tunes. The audience is building and intrigue is peaking as they smash through their surprisingly intimate songs hassle-free despite having two stand-ins on guitar and bass.

The only real halt in flow for the evening comes in the form of act number three, Hollow Everdaze, a band steeped in mid-2000s indie nostalgia. Though they offer some thoroughly enjoyable instrumentals, helped in part by the Super Mario-styled violinist left-of-stage, their performance is ultimately marred by weak vocals and an uninspired stage presence. But the crowd has not wavered; three support slots down and they are more excited than ever, ready and rearing for the main attraction to take the stage in all their fuzzed-out lo-fi glory.

From the moment guitarist Courtney Loove thrashes her first chord, the audience is happy. Returning to Australia in support of their second album, The Courtneys rip through tracks from both records seamlessly. Drummer Jen Twynn Payne furiously rattles her sticks while maintaining her composure enough to sing — not an easy feat by any stretch but she pulls it off with style. The band have an air of subdued excitement, simultaneously relaxed and energised but completely in control, and a quality of performance that lends itself perfectly to their garage-flavoured power pop. Their influences are clear and they have never been shy about divulging their musical heroes, but they bring enough freshness and originality to the equation to avoid the dreaded pigeonholing some bands suffer.

It's a harmonious performance. All three are completely in sync and at a level of comfortability with one another that's always a delight to see. The music is raw, no frills, no nonsense, unapologetic and completely lacking in cares, the kind of gig that makes you want to pick up a guitar and start a band in your garage as soon as you get home, to hell with the neighbours! What The Courtneys give you is rock'n'roll in its most basic, authentic and enjoyable state. What's not to love?