Live Review: The Creases, Shaky Handz, The Knits - Brighton Up

Local four-piece The Knits began the night with their trademark grimy swagger, leading off with Pretty Baby, the sleazy last track from their EP. The set rolled along with peppy '60s-inspired garage rock throwbacks, mixing in elements of The Ramones with Troggs and Sonics song structures. A brand new song Castles had the band's tambourine player switch to sax for a dash of colour, and the closer, Do Ya?, was a high-tempo highlight, with impassioned, shrieking lead vocals, a slammin' sax solo, and great period-accurate backing vocals.

Behind the endearing lo-fi soundscape of Shaky Handz' new EP Sick Later is a wily understanding of the enduring power of pop-punk, and this was proudly on display at the Brighton Up Bar. In fact, in spite of mics falling down, a bass drum that wouldn't stay put, and an incident with a broken string and a missing guitar strap, the band rolled with the punches to deliver a massively impressive set. On top of the band's two-and-a-half-minute songs (like the EP's title track), which show off an impressive ear for melody, the set included a couple of hilarious five-second songs, and even a NOFX cover, in case anyone in the audience's teenage dreams hadn't already come true.

The band brought out a half-realised cover of Electric Six's Gay Bar, which ended up in a cheerful cacophony...

Touring overseas, being booked for Splendour, and signing an international deal with Liberation, there is a lot of buzz behind Brisbane quartet The Creases - and this is all on the strength of a couple of singles. It's enough to make for a pretty nervous stage show, but fortunately the group seemed grateful for the opportunity to prove themselves.

The upcoming EP tracks showcase more of the washed-out, gazey influence that the singles have hinted at, and both guitarists combine to make a formidable wall of reverb-soaked noise. A cover of Tal Bachmann's She's So High was on-point, with those trademark effected guitars sweeping through the verses. However, it was the two singles, debut I Won't Wait and newy Static Lines that really got the crowd excited. Static Lines in particular had an extremely energetic drive to it, with a relentless, thumping drumbeat balanced out by melancholic guitars. Pushed into an encore, the band brought out a half-realised cover of Electric Six's Gay Bar, which ended up in a cheerful cacophony as the band collapsed into some kind of ending.