Live Review: The Smith Street Band, Cheap Girls, Grim Fandango, Ten Points For Glenroy

Returning to their favourite Perth stomping ground, Australia's biggest “punk” band at the minute The Smith Street Band afforded Ten Points For Glenroy the pleasure of opening the bill, which they did with suitable aplomb. As the first of the night's proponents of a thriving Perth scene, the punk'n'roll quartet were gruff without being messy showcasing plenty of new songs, and were at best when affording plenty of space to their Brian Fallon-like vocals.

Grim Fandango further solidified the Perth quality with another damn good set of catchy as heck punk rock. Having added more strings to their increasingly impressive bow, the jangly riffs and raw, blemished vocals just keep on coming in more little nuggets of gold (see newie, Play Forever). Ending with a couple of oldies off their debut album, Birthmark Blues, demonstrated the group's strong local support, before being left with a bit of a Michael Flatley jig from several audience members and the question asked that it must be about time the Perth favourites received some well-deserved wider recognition?

Over from the big ol' US of A for the first time, touring support guests Cheap Girls took a while to get going, and perhaps never quite hit their stride in the way the other acts did. Perhaps due to their slower tempos and lack of strong dynamic shifts, the largely unfamiliar audience didn't appear to totally warm to the trio, and the lack of audience interaction didn't help. Suffering from a muddy mix, the articulation of the lyrics unfortunately left much to be desired, which was a shame as what could be heard was plenty of great melodies and guitar solos.

There was no mistaking whom everyone present was here to see though as The Smith Street Band took to the stage. Opening with a couple of newies off the recently released Don't Fuck With Our Dreams (of which all five tracks were played; Self Control a transcendent standout), Will Wagner and Co. were typically magical, demonstrating to everyone that intangible quality that even the sincerest form of flattery can't create. With so much passion shared and shouted at the top of half the audience's collective lungs, the PA came off second best, and if any criticism could be given, it was that the set was too short, several of the group's more well known or fan favourites neglected. But we are demanding people, we music fans, aren't we?