Live Review: The Stabs, The Holy Soul, Treatment

Four-piece Treatment did their best to entertain the few early attendees with their style of rollicking rock played emphatically loud and with verve. Working hard to encourage the small crowd, the smattering of applause by set end suggested most were waiting for the two acts to follow.

The Holy Soul continue to be one of the finest bands in Sydney; loud and aggressive, but equally melodic, they had the audience's attention from start to end. Even with drummer Kate Wilson replaced for the night, the band managed to wind their way through songs with gusto, frontman Trent Marden cutting an authoritative figure as he brayed and yelled with taut enthusiasm. In between losing a guitar slide and rediscovering it, guitarist Jon Hunter, along with bassist Sam Worrad, rounded out the noise beautifully. Melody is inherent in what The Holy Soul do, and it was ever present in Hunter's guitar riffs, whether drowned in effects or playing keep up with Worrad's wiggling bass notes. There was only a slight feeling of a little something amiss with Wilson's absence.

It really was the double bill of dreams, with Melbourne's always outstanding The Stabs headlining the show. It'd been a while since we'd seen the trio in town, and with the sizeable audience crowding around the front of the stage, an unwavering fervour seemed to flow between band and crowd. After locating a missing guitarist, the swampy noise sounds that have become synonymous with The Stabs reverberated through the venue. The songs were short, sharp and straight to the point. Six Foot Rodent was equal parts sinister and thrilling, with piercing guitar screeches giving way to the silence whilst they sang, 'oh man, oh man, you've really done it this time.' But it was the nihilistic No Hoper that incited hollers and headbanging in unison, as the song cautiously built from its low guitar riff into the screaming refrain. The night was proof once more that you just can't go wrong with The Stabs and The Holy Soul on the same bill.