Live Review: The Good Ship, Stormchasers, The Bon Scotts

Judging by the array of naughty and nautical merchandise up for grabs – underwear, sailor hats – it's obvious tonight's fare will be anything but dull. As punters start trickling in early, The Zoo begins to resemble something of a holding pen for extras on a Tim Burton seafaring venture.

Melbourne seven-piece The Bon Scotts squeeze themselves onstage and kick off with Remember from their latest album. Singer and guitarist Robert Zimmerman maintains a tight reign on their loud folk-pop that could get unwieldy but Who Is The Gentleman? and Here Comes The Summer show off the group's ability for keeping mandolins, euphos, guitars and accordions tight, with Stefani Germanott's cello poignantly underlining all. Zimmerman's commanding vocals are wonderfully rich on We Like War, and with just the odd balance issue they near the end with Let's Do What The Catholics Do, inducing a member from the headline act to crash the stage in priest attire.

Tonight is all about big ensembles and local funk-rock eight-piece Storm Chasers are no exception, but the usual sound issues of an outfit this size bring chaos. Lead vocalist Katherine Sheppard is simply drowned out in Raw Bacon by the stomping melodic lines and horn embellishments. The bass-heavy mix continues its onslaught as Sheppard and singer-guitarist Michael Gill battle through Take A Sip and The Storm. It's truly a shame as there is all evidence these guys kill it on a regular basis with reggae sass and dirty blues bursting out of saxophones, ukuleles, harmonicas and brass. These ease off on With The Lights On, allowing Sheppard and Gill to duet this sweet, vulnerable lyric.

When stormy sounds roll through the dark space the now larger crowd rushes to the front for Brisbane buccaneers The Good Ship. Regular touring and tonight's album launch has gifted the eight-piece troupe with a following who know to expect a night of saucy jokes and dirty, accordion-ridden sea shanties awash with western, folk, and cabaret flourishes. Singer, guitarist and co-captain John Meyer channels Nick Cave and gets the mutiny going with many a 'hey!' for opener A Harbour Fair. Although favouring mostly material off new album O' Exquisite Corpse, the guys and gals' crude version of On The Good Ship Venus and co-captain singer and banjo-plucker Brett Harris' hilarious What I'm Trying To Say go down a treat. Guitar noodler Bury Me remains one of the band's finest. Lead single Seven Seas is rollicking fun, followed by set closer, a cover of Boney M's Rasputin.

Then the scurvy dogs bound back onstage with their support acts for a messy finale of fun and frivolity as they tackle a cacophonous mash-up of all manner of pop greats, including Sir Mix-a-Lot's Baby Got Back.