Live Review: The Love Junkies

It's a testament to the way some people feel about North Fremantle's Mojo's Bar that Saturday night's Love Junkies gig wasn't just a gig; it was a wedding reception. Bride, groom and well-dressed guests crammed together into the back courtyard between sets, mingling with shaggy-haired fans and pool-playing regulars, the former having sought out The Love Junkies specifically to play at their reception. Everyone was there for the music; when the bands started up, the courtyard emptied immediately into the front bar. First up, Oh You Pretty Things played an emotional last set, with half of the band heading over to the UK for enough time to justify shutting up shop... for now, anyway. Blackboard Minds re-filled the bar area next, playing an intense, sustained first few songs, followed by a couple of poppier numbers and then finishing off where they started. But it was The Love Junkies the general public came for, and we were well rewarded for our troubles. Eyes bungling and hair flying, frontman Mitch McDonald let his lungs loose on the microphone, angling clever, almost melodious riffs into the sort of rock that is as honest as it is intense. Here's a band that really should be famous. The crowd left dazed, ears ringing for probably a little too long afterwards, and there would have been some sore necks in the morning.