Live Review: The Ottomans, Tsun, Gazar Strips

It's encouraging to see more than a few punters have made it out early to hear the sounds of local trio Gazar Strips tonight, because they're a group who are involved with (arguably) one of the more exciting musical movements in Brisbane at the moment – the resurgence of the goth! Their haunting, echoing bass lines evoke memories of early pioneers of the genre like The Cure, yet they have a much bolder and dirtier edge, thanks in part to their hard-hitting riffs, but more as a result of the stunning vocal range of frontman Atlas Harwood. This is demonstrated particularly well in the set's highlight, Spookies, which starts out with a low, deep rumble from Harwood before the build-up to a forceful yell for the chorus; broody, grungy and seductive stuff.

Tsun lighten the mood almost immediately with their warm psychedelic tunes. Taking the stage in stylish splendour – suits, '60s haircuts, spotty socks, flowers all around – it's not long before they have the area around the stage packed out with swaying and dancing fans. They too, have a sound that sparks memories of yesteryear, this time thanks to the retro edge of keys and frontman Karl S Williams' earthy vocal tone. It's easy to get lost in the joyous energy of this set, particularly because of the lengthy, tripped-out instrumental jams that feature in the set.

Upping the ante fashionably, The Ottomans take the stage donned in some seriously suave blue suits, with the exception of frontman Mitchell Dave-Lewis, who dons shorts instead of trousers. Their style is more boppy and danceable in comparison to the previous acts, resulting in a group of eager fangirls rushing to the front of the crowd to boogie down for the entirety of the set, which The Ottomans seem pretty pleased about. Lewis has an almost dirty and gravelly tone of voice, which adds a perfect amount of edge to their surfy, jangly style of psych-pop. As Lewis charms the crowd, their guitarist wanders sporadically into the audience, which is always exciting and energising in these smaller venues. The reason they're here tonight is to launch their latest single, She Was, which is saved for the back end of the set, and is met with roars of glee (particularly from the fangirls) as soon as the opening riff is knocked out. It's not hard to understand the excitement here; the melodies are tight, the vibe is exciting and there's room within the track for each band member to shine. While this tune has been a long time coming, it's definitely proven worth the wait.