Live Review: The Ocean Party, Pageants, Hot Palms

A trip upstairs at the Gasometer brings me to a small carpeted room with a mixing desk in the back corner and a seven-piece band crammed into the free space at the front. In the constant red glow of the Bandroom, Hot Palms take their time arranging themselves into a picturesque form that begs to be captured as music portraiture. Yet once the iPod is paused and the live music begins the visuals cease to matter. In the absence of co-founder Emma Russack, Hot Palms play a (brief) set of affecting instrumentals. The music moves in slow passages; screaming theremin crescendos, percussion pitter-patters and rumbling bass, all following a constant drum beat and striking guitar sound. It is music to close your eyes to.

Next up is Pageants. The guy that was mixing the sound picks up the bass and joins his bandmates. Again there are a fair few musicians standing in front of us, but none are wasted as they play a (brief) set of noisy slacker pop. What sets Pageants apart from other local bands who share a similar vibe is the bristling intensity they play with. Compared to other bands tonight, they play loud, and the commanding but sweet backing vocals provided by three members give the band an edge in the live setting. They play a couple of older tracks but it is the ones from their new LP Dark Before Blonde Dawn that really stand out. Like Hot Palms before them, they are on and off the stage in quick time, though they probably play to the biggest audience of the night.

Hoping to successfully launch their new album Social Clubs, The Ocean Party is the last band on this Sunday night. They start with Sit On The Hill, which is a good indicator for the sound they will stick with for the rest of their (brief) set. It's an easy indie-pop guitar jangle, backed with some understated keyboard work and rounded out with the melancholic Australian drawl of Lachlan Denton. The contemplative opener is probably the best track of the night. Other highlights include earlier singles from this year, On The Floor and In A Knot. The audience is quietly appreciative of the band's work and Denton doesn't seem too keen to push the agenda – only half-heartedly plugging the album with an unassuming dry wit. The room livens up a bit when a couple of the boys from Hot Palms arrive from the bar downstairs and get about moving enthusiastically while others feel more comfortable just to bob their heads and sway a bit. Despite this late rush of energy, The Ocean Party can't be roused for 'one more song'. A night of earnest music making is over without a big finale, which seems fitting really.