Live Review: Wintersteady

"There's not even anything this good going on in Melbourne right now," says Michael Badger of The Demon Parade midset. The simplistic statement perfectly highlighted the greatness of Wintersteady, a derivative of Going Steady Festival and a key event in Adelaide's Umbrella Winter City Sounds program, which is currently blazing through its inaugural year. Taking place at the Crown & Anchor Hotel and featuring a perfectly curated line-up consisting of Flyying Colours, The Demon Parade, The Dunes, The Dandelion, St Morris Sinners, Blush Response and Fondle. Wintersteady also boasted a vast array of sJ Sets in conjunction with Adelaide's best local station Three D Radio. Its calculated execution, audience-tailored line-up and the supple flow of local pride made sure Wintersteady was a smash hit show.

Fondle opened up the occasion with heavy fuzz riffs in the vein of ORB and Wolfmother. High energy levels ensured a good time, with feelgood vibes permeating throughout, which goes without saying when you have Azz Shaw from Glass Skies rocking out on the bass. The turnout early in the afternoon was already better than at some Friday night gigs and there was a sense that it would only get busier and busier throughout the night. 

Blush Response were an early highlight, with their dissonant guitar tones, gentle lyrics and shoegaze sentiments allowing them to draw similarities to City Calm Down, Horror My Friend and Nirvana. The performance was captivating and filled with emotional apathy — as a function of the band's sound, rather than the temperament of its members. St Morris Sinners are on the rise as one of Adelaide's best and wildest up-and-coming bands. Alluding to such names as Max Savage & The False Idols, Nick Cave and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard the energetic four-piece create a dark brand of warped, blues-tinged psych-rock. They move from fast bass-driven numbers to slow Americana jams and their vocalist Stephen Johnson has a stage presence like David Byrne, writhing, twitching, twisting and rolling on the floor as he screams manically. St Morris Sinners are without a doubt carving their own niche spot in the scene.

If St Morris Sinners are carving their own niche the The Dandelion have pretty much created their own sound. The Dandelion scream girl power, with three talented women fronting the band on keys, bass and guitar/vocals. You could say they sound similar to The Black Angels or The Doors. There is so much instrumental depth to their compositions, with the inclusion of interesting guitar licks, a vast array of key and bass lines and an utterly intriguing voice. Throw in the manipulation of static to create warping R2-D2 sounds and what you've got is a wildly amiable performance, which easily drew the biggest crowd and loudest cheers of the evening. 

The Dunes took the stage after a moderate break with their dark, brooding brand of droning psych-rock. Their new drummer Clair O'Boyle has really come into her own since the departure of their old drummer Dan Fernie-Harper, and as ever the six-piece have one of the coolest stage presences, dripping with mystery. Wintersteady organiser and Dunes bassist Adam Vanderwerf plays with his back turned to the audience while picking delicately consistent low notes. Stacie Reeves sang with vigor, her wild screams a Dunes signature, and her encapsulating motherly croon drawing in the listener. New single Mountain was a highlight of the set, with the subtle key and synth elements complementing the drone. 

The Demon Parade delivered the most high energy performance of the evening, with rollicking bass lines and wicked tonality in their guitar riffs. Their accompanying live visuals made the audience feel as if they were flying through space at record speeds. Their drummer is a hard hitter and it's a wonder The Demon Parade aren't up there with the giants of the Australian psych-rock scene. The highlight of the performance was the inclusion of vinyl-only release Succumb To A Feather, of which they played the A and B-side. 

Flyying Colours made a great end to the night. Their blend of psych, indie and alternative music comes out as absolutely effortless. The trade-off between male and female vocals, and ever-persisting bass lines set the scene for fast and furious drum rolls in a serious explosion of laidback groove. The mellow infusion of sounds made for a great opportunity to look back on the day and its proceedings, with Flyying Colours frontman Brodie J Brummer even mentioning that he watched and loved each and every one. Primarily playing songs from their upcoming record, Flyying Colours closed with a track that swelled into a dizzying post-rock crescendo.