Live Review: Voiid, Crocodylus, A Swayze & The Ghosts

As A Swayze & The Ghosts take to the stage, people begin to file into the venue, filling up only a quarter of the Gold Coast music hub, Miami Shark Bar. The crowd is greeted by an overdose of reverb and fuzz, true signifiers that tonight they’re at a punk show. Each member of the band dances around and utilises the space - something’s always happening.

Sydney’s garage-rockers Crocodylus take to the stage next opening with Christian Syrups, their set filled with brutally fast-paced rhythms, sliced-up guitar solos and enough reverb to feel like you’re trapped in the golden age of skate- and surf-punk. They drop the tempo for sweeter track My Baby, and then transition to a big finish with both Way Oh and Ramones’ Blitzkrieg Bop. By the end of their set, the entire crowd has lost both their hearing and their voices. But the night’s far from over!

Hailing from Brisbane, punk four-piece Voiid jump on stage and are met with an unfortunately disappointing crowd, either laying around on the venue’s couches or having left the venue. But as feedback and white noise echo through their guitar amps, a small crowd begin to climb the stairs back into the venue. Frontwoman Anji Greenwood is already kicking around, jumping onto the barrier while screaming into the microphone. With a now familiar setlist, many members of the crowd are yelling along to even the unreleased tracks alongside the classic Voiid that fans have come to love. There's a brand new song that screams of influences from The Smashing Pumpkins; it's a brilliant, more sombre track compared to their more traditional punk anthems.

Twin and Silly Girl are both met by adoring fans moshing into each other and screaming the lyrics until their throats dry out. Finishing with Not For You, drummer Jasmine Cannon gives a quick speech on the meaning of the track, and why women deserve better recognition than what they’ve received their whole lives. The set ends with white noise and screeching feedback echoing through the venue.