Live Review: SLAM Day: The Glorious, Goodbye Motel & Paul Ruske

Away from the saturated streets of Melbourne's White Night, there was another important event, The Glorious' album launch at the John Curtin Hotel. In comparison to the insane swarms swirling outside, this is much more of a modestly intimate affair. By the time support acts, Paul Ruske, followed by Goodbye Motel, finish their own sets the bandroom of the John Curtin Hotel is warmed up in more ways than one. Once on stage, The Glorious waste no time and welcome their audience with These Blazin Nights, the opening track off their new album, Sweetwater. It seems that the day's heat has managed to stick around for the album launch too. However, this does not discourage the crowd, with many of them singing, swaying and saluting along to songs both old and new.

Their songs, filled with inspiring lyrics coupled with guitar riffs that would turn the head of Chris Isaak himself, are mixed in with some fairly awkward and short interactions from lead, David Mather. Stage banter aside, their talent as musicians is very difficult to argue against, though some of the vocals are partially lost in a poor sound mix. It's perhaps their only downfall, however, with a crowd that could have, and should have, been much larger.