Live Review: The Spinning Rooms, Turnpike, Big Richard Insect, Landing In The Presence Of The Enemy Janguars Advanced

With festivals crumbling around us in the post-apocalyptic digital age of music, there is still hope as Brisbane's little venue that could, has. Tonight sees part one of  the celebrations as The Waiting Room comes to the ripe old age of two (or a tender 14 in dog years).

A fresh-faced band with familiar faces – also a band name to clearly up the word count of any article written about them – Landing in the Presence of the Enemy Jaguars Advanced open the night and for the group's first gig they already exhibit a polished sound, building on post-rock walls of noise with splinters of punk, electro and a tad funk.

Adelaide's Big Richard Insect follow and they're in town to launch their rather decent 7”. However, the group don't translate as well live as on record, with their sound coming off as more generic punk than the more defined dirty sound with hints of jangle thrown in on wax. The set's mid-point is definitely its weakest, with attention spans waning, but the band bring it together in the end, which is really what saved the performance.

As lame as it is to open with something like this – “What can you say about Turnpike that hasn't been said before?” – they are simply timeless and still pretty badarse! There are simply no flaws in the set and the band are purely tight; even as an audience member there is a sense of the whole experience being really organic and natural. The interplay between the band during the tracks is a marvel and the crowd lap up every moment. A perfect enlistment for this gig and a true highlight of the night.

Closing the evening are the band that some knew as, “Oh, that band that got announced for ATP” but by the end everyone knows their name as The Spinning Rooms, and they nailed their set. Playing after Turnpike meant at times there's a bit of a double-take as the groups sound similar in parts. However, the Rooms take it one step further in creating a captivating atmosphere with each passing track. The addition of sax to this style of music at times helps accelerate the group's tracks into more drone-based soundscapes underneath the wailing guitars and the masterful drumming of Noah Wilson, which is bewildering to watch all night. Apart from the odd sound problem mainly due to the variety on offer, the set is a joy and makes the prospect of this group playing at the illustrious ATP all the more understandable and welcoming. Hear, hear, The Waiting Room! Thanks for the last two years and bring on many more.